Plane Carrying Marines Makes Emergency Landing

Ananova ^ | 1-17-2003

[blam]

Plane carrying marines makes emergency landings

A chartered jetliner flying US marines to Kuwait was forced to make two emergency landings in Germany.

The first was after it blew tyres while taking off. The second was when the landing gear failed to retract.

The pilot of the United Airlines Boeing 747-400 carrying about 250 marines from California returned safely to the Rhein-Main air base on Thursday when two landing gear tyres blew on take-off, said base spokesman Staff Sergeant Matthew Summers.

The aircraft took off again today after the tyres were replaced, only to have the nose landing gear fail to properly retract. The pilot again returned safely to base.

Aircraft carrying US military personnel deploying to the Persian Gulf as part of a build up for a possible war on Iraq are on heightened alert for terrorist attacks or sabotage.

But United Airlines spokesman Werner Claasen said this was nothing more than two technical problems.

"That's what you face when you run a fleet of 500 aircraft," he said.

Story filed: 18:03 Friday 17th January 2003

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[txhurl]

"That's what you face when you run a fleet of 500 aircraft," he said.

No kissass, he.

[BluH2o]

But United Airlines spokesman Werner Claasen said this was nothing more than two technical problems.

"That's what you face when you run a fleet of 500 aircraft," he said.

Shortly after declaring bankruptcy ... of course!

[PhiKapMom]

But United Airlines spokesman Werner Claasen said this was nothing more than two technical problems.

"That's what you face when you run a fleet of 500 aircraft," he said.

Now that does not make me feel safe! The United Spokesman is an idiot! Blowing out tires is not a technical problem if I am on the plane!

[PAR35]

That's what you face when you run a fleet of 500 aircraft," at a bankrupt airline with unhappy mechanics.
Machinists sole holdouts on United bankruptcy plan
http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1077326

[PAR35]

I need to type faster.

[blam]

"Blowing out tires is not a technical problem if I am on the plane!"

I think I'd be asking to get off.

[PhiKapMom]

Same here! Would you get back on with two technical difficulties happening? I wouldn't! I really feel for those Marines who had no choice!

[Robe]

Been there....while on R&R... we were flying back to Viet Nam from Hawaii on a DC-8.
We got away from the gate and to my suprise quickly taxied to the active runway and commenced the take off roll.
About half way down the runway he aborted the T/O, it was quite disturbing , he was really laying on the reverse.
We taxied back, & off we went again.
To my dismay.. he aborted a second time, then a third.

Being a Naval Aviatior I was not comfortable at all, I knew an aborted T/O was a serious thing.

The Fourth attempt was successfull and we went on our way.

A few hours into the flight , I went up forward and asked the stew if I could visit the cockpit, she took a look at my uniform and said "Sure" and opened the door.

After the usual introductions, I asked , "Just what was the problem with the T/O.. The pilot replied ( your not going to belive this)... "Oh, I figured we'd be stuck on the ramp for a while so we put on more fuel than we needed... I had to burn off a few hundred pounds to make the legal Take off weight!"

Ya gotta love government contractors

[William Tell]

Robe said: "About half way down the runway he aborted the T/O, it was quite disturbing , he was really laying on the reverse. "

I was flying military standby (saving money) on an Army cargo plane from Travis to New York. While we were taxiing, one engine backfired and quit. So the pilot rolled over near the hangar and let it warm up for another twenty minutes. That was a very long ten hour flight.

[Robe]

There are a million stories of military transport... many of them frightning !!!!

[PhiKapMom]

Unbelieveable! I would have probably fainted after the last abort and figured I was doomed!

That is amazing! I cannot imagine what was going through your mind!

[PhiKapMom]

WOW! That would have had to be a long 10 hour flight!

[MinuteGal]

I think the spokesman's remark was extremely callous.

He should have said "Thank God we didn't have a horrible catastrophe with all these young men and women aboard. Our maintenance sucks."

Leni

[Pushi]

The Air Force was flying my Naval Reserve unit to California for our two-week summer active duty. We took off from Beaumont, TX in some broke-down four engine prop job. It just so happens that during our take-off roll, we ran into a fierce hail storm. Could see absolutely nothing--no runway or anything. The pilot, I am sure, thinking we could not abort, kept going. After what seemed like an hour and fifteen minutes, he lifted off. Still we could see nothing and we were being buffeted drastically. When we finally broke out of the storm and could see, we were about about five miles from the airport and about 50 feet above the ground. I have a commercial license with an instrument rating and know a little about flying--I was concerned, but I really felt concerned when I saw the crew chief throw a roll of toilet paper to the pilot.

[Pushi]

I remember another time when I was trying to get my unit out of Danang and to Travis AFB in the Philippines. I managed to get us on some kind of a cargo aircraft. It was night. There were no seats, so we sat and lay on the floor. Lashed down with us was a very large air-compressor mounted on a four-wheel trailor. I felt something wet under me and realized that the gasoline tank on the air-compressor engine was leaking like a seive. I told my people to not light a cigarette. We made it.

[EdReform]

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