Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: Moose4; khenrich
Jetliners can cruise on one engine no problem...but I don’t know about a fully-loaded MD-82 with 166+ people onboard, on a hot day, being able to get off the ground on one engine.

It wouldn't be certified to fly as a commercial aircraft if it couldn't complete a takeoff after V1 with one engine out. If the temperature were too high, the crew would have to leave off some weight (fuel, cargo, or passengers) to operate the aircraft within limits.

Actually, my initial speculation was that the pilots saw some sort of failure after V1, and tried to stop when they should have continued. That would put the aircraft off the end of the runway at (potentially) high speeds and could lead to the kind of impact/fire described. Incidentally, that's why there is a speed past which you continue the takeoff - it's better to get the plane into the air and circle to land then to run off the end of the runway and hit things on the ground.

43 posted on 08/20/2008 10:19:01 AM PDT by Turbopilot (iumop ap!sdn w,I 'aw dlaH)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies ]


To: Turbopilot
American Airlines has MD-80 IFSD's of one engine at 200 - 500 feet all the time (I think they may still have the largest MD80 fleet in the world). They had an epidemic of it a couple years ago caused by LPT turbine blade failures.

The news media blamed all the MD-80's parked at LGA on "Global Warming" when it was "lowest bidder" parts failing in recently overhauled motors that was really causing the problem.

Either the pilots screwed up, the plane was way overweight or the failure was more catastophic than a simple inflight shut down.

45 posted on 08/20/2008 10:42:18 AM PDT by UNGN (I've been here since '98 but had nothing to say until now)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson