Posted on 08/14/2013 4:26:40 AM PDT by The Working Man
Edited on 08/14/2013 5:40:11 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) A federal aviation official says a large UPS cargo plane has crashed near an airport in Birmingham, Ala.
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen tells The Associated Press that the A300 plane crashed on approach to the airport before dawn Wednesday. [snip]
If there is the slightest suspicion of terrorist activity, we need to stay on this. No more TWA800 swept under the rug.
I’m not seeing terrorism or conspiracy behind every accident. Just saying we need to look closely and not be led like sheep - in either direction.
I'm guessing the cause of the crash is likely weather related. To answer your question, its hard to tell cargo planes from passenger planes, especially when it's dark. Both are large planes. Another possibility is there could have been something onboard in the cargo, that caused the crash.
The Airbus 300 series is both in passenger and cargo configurations depending on the model number!!! The A330 aircraft has been in service for many years, and is an extemely safe aircraft. The Birmingham Airport is located close to downtown Birmingham, but the surrounding area is not congested on the ground. Hope for the best....does not sound good!!!
Went down outside airport perimeter fence. (this article says)
http://avherald.com/h?article=466d969f&opt=0
This article has good graphics (of approach, 3-D) and some early pics of crash, description of plane, how old, etc.
http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20130814-0
Wow... It clearly impacted that berm.
In FAA terminology:
“an unscheduled landing resulting in collision with terrain.”
More good pics (another aviation article on crash)
Weather reported- no unusual weather
Good info and comments at the link you posted.
From what I can see on the google+ link, the plane wasn’t lined up with the runway at all?
Thanks Errant.
My step-BIL just retired last year as a UPS pilot. Will find out later if he knew them.
CC
They may not know the difference. You’d think the paint would tell them. who knows? I’ve always thought the terrorists were stupid for what they did on 9/11. They could have disrupted the entire Northeast and killed possibly hundreds of thousands costing trillions.
No doubt he knows them. From what I hear, pilots are a tight group.
It sounds like that, the radar (doppler) from the time period wasn’t showing any thunderstorms in that area. The area about an hour or so west (rain band moving time) was showing some thunder cells.
Must be something specific. The airport didn’t shut down arrivals/departures at all. (or if i missed that, only for a VERY small time period)
Real heavy sink rate before landing.
Also, per Airliners, no Glide Slope on Runway 18, and the Glideslope was inop for repairs on Runway 24.
Either something broke, or this is yet another case of electronics flying the airplane into the ground, with the crew too reliant on it, until the last moment.
“The airport didnt shut down arrivals/departures at all.”
The crash is off the field.
I was in the #2 Aircraft behind the FedEx 727 that crashed in Kansas City several years back. We circled for 30 minutes, at low altitude, in icing conditions, before they allowed us to land. Another couple of minutes, and we’d have diverted.
Maybe this is normal for runway 18, but I was thinking that the Airbus and cargo would need a longer runway/payload than 18 (as it’s listed) If that is the shorter one they were aiming to land on.
Runway 18
Non-precision approach
7,100 feet in length
150 feet wide
Pavement Condition/Classification: Runway 18/36 is designed to accommodate a 75,000-pound single wheel load, a 170,000-pound dual wheel load, and a 240,000-pound dual tandem wheel load.
That debris is somebodys stuff. going to be an insurance nightmare.
CC
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