High Winds Cause Issue with Airplane
[Updated] Bernews understands the high winds have caused an issue with a cargo plane airplane this afternoon [Dec 21]. A witness told us that the high winds blew the airplane and wedged something, possibly a cargo can, under the plane’s wing. The airport fire personnel is presently on scene as a precaution while officials look to rectify the problem. We have asked for an official statement, and will update as able.
Update 5:30pm: Additional photos:
Update 6:09pm: We still have not received an official statement yet, however the fire service and officials are still on scene. It appears that the object is still “stuck”.
Update 7:00pm: Still no official word, however someone on scene told us that “As the plane was being unloaded today, strong wind gusts caused the wind to rotate. If you can imagine the aircraft was parked with the nose facing the airport as all passenger plane are, and the side cargo door was opened to unload cargo cans.”
“The wind caused the plane to pivot on rear wheels to the right so it was now facing towards the Arrival Hall. As the plane swung around the workers in the open cargo door and on the lift that unloads cans ran for cover and as the wing spun over the can on the trolley it wedged itself stuck.”
The individual said it was lucky that no one was hurt and there was no fuel leak, as the fuel tanks are in the wing of plane. The individual also said that officials said the wing may have been sliced and there may be some damage to a section of the plane.
From what we can see on scene, and understand – the object that was stuck appears to have been dislodged.
We also understand that at approximately 7pm, a luggage bin for an outgoing flight was blown by the wind, and officials decided to change the direction of the plane to load the luggage. Photos to come….
Update 9:00pm: The British Airways plane is pictured below, pointed ‘backwards’:
Update Dec 23: Still no official statement.
Oh Wow. That’s alot of wind. Hope there were no injuries.
The WIND moved a plane that was on the ground? Sounds like the only wind involved is hot air and someone f’d up!
Franklin, obviously you limited knowledge of airport operations led you to make such a stupid an unsubstantiated accusation. Get some education first cause I was onhand a witness to the incident.
Read it again. As written, the plane moved. I know that did not happen. So…how did that container get under the wing, if you were there & saw it?
Looks like it is on the handling equipment. The wind surely could not blow that either. Operator error of the equipment? Oh & yes, I have spent some time working on that ramp so I do know what the wind can do. An empty container not locked down is a dangerous thing in the wind.
You and your friend Franklin obviously are not as smart as you think you are, so you probably should listen to those who know and were present.
Why is it do you think that when there are high wind conditions on an airfield that ground personnel TIE down airplanes? Here is a hint: Airplanes are designed to and inherently WANT to fly! Hence if they get enough airflow over their wings to create the difference in pressure (which we call flight), guess what they may just move. Its what they are designed to do.
Sometimes you don’t know all that you think you know. If someone says they witnessed something, you might try listening to them instead of hinting at some cracked up conspiracy theory you came up with.
as stated above the plane was parked facing airport and as it was being unloaded the wind gust blew the plane causing it to pivot on rear wheels and swing about 180 degrees,as it swung the wing came over the cargo can and got it stuck there,miracle no one was hurt as there were workers on plane with cargo door open and on lift.
Onhand 2, thanks for the deductions. Much better response than the rantings of the two little children.
I don’t think anyone said anything about any aircraft being tied down. I’ve never seen large aircraft tied down, which is not to say that they are never tied down.
Still…why did this one move? Wheels not chocked? Not chocked properly? No consideration given to the wind & extra chocks not put under main gear? Nose gear not left straight so that it could not spint? There is a human reason for this accident.
It has been awhile since I worked at the airport. It was back in the day when Eastern Airlines used that same type of aircraft to fly here. No, I did not handle baggage. It was a job which required a bit more resonsibility.
FYI, both left and right main gears were chocked in the front and back with 36″ rubber chocks. Additionally the Nose gear was chocked in the same manner. And yes, it was done this way because if the high winds so consideration was given. Nose wheel was straight (how could it not be) after parking.
Why could it not just have been a freak gust of wind that caused the aircraft to lift and jump the chocks Einstein ?
Unusual, yes but impossible, no cause I also witnessed it.
I had a good laugh at that ‘freak gust of wind causing the aircraft to jump the chocks’ comment. Yes an aircraft is designed to fly and love the winds, but they will only ‘fly’ at an airspeed (wind flowing over the wings causing lift) at an average speed range about 160 mph (260 km/h) to 180 mph (290 km/h) for a commercial airliner. So if you had that kind of winds at the airport yesterday, then I would say it was possible for that cargo plane to ‘self fly’. Of course that would also mean that the other ‘light weight’ private/corporate aircraft parked at the airport were also strewn all over the tarmac because in my past 10 years of traversing the tarmac there (in fire trucks)I have never seen any of them ‘tied’ down.
Ok, Triangle. Obviously I will have to explain it as if I AM talking to a child.
My statement about tieing down aircraft was an example to show you that even aircraft on the ground can and want to fly, hence the need to tie them down. No, large aircraft do not get tied down but they do want to fly just as their smaller counterparts.
Aircraft don’t just move back and forth you know. They also tend to go side to side and up/down. Which is probably the case here as it did move to its starboard side. Chocks or no chocks, this could have easily happened with the level of wind speeds we experienced yesterday.
Maybe you should have handled baggage.
if you look on the first picture you will see where the generator is parked,it was on the left side of the front wheels ,as you can see by that picture the plane has moved about 180 and generator still on original spot and the lift which is normally an the side of the cargo door (which does not move when there are cans on it) is still in the same spot,so clearly the front of plane swung around
Triangle Drifter. You are just as unknowledgeable as Franklin. For your information, the plane did move caused by a strong gust of wind and again due to your limited knowledge of how this could have happened, I am not surprised to you ignorance. Just another bladder mouth who speaks as if he knows it all. Had nothing to do with the handling equipment or the personnel that were working the flight. It had nothing to do with the container being locked down as it was in the process of being offloaded. You must have worked in baggage arrivals cause you really dont know what the hell you talking about. And yes, I have worked here for over 25 years and know what I am talking about. Go to school…..
Onhand 2…. Thank You for explaining to these know nothing couch potatoes who read things in a book and all of a sudden think they are experts…
In the Know and Onhand 2..Thank you for your explanation to those that had something to say which in the end amounted to nothing…
Hehehehehe…I just love reading some of these comments
It sounds like the wheels were not chocked properly and In the know is trying to cover up for someone!
Don’t have to cover up as it was witnessed by all that were there. You are just another Monday morning quarterback who thinks they know it all. This was already uncovered in the investigation. So RA, the saw comments can be passed on to you.
I am still trying to figure out how an aircraft which weighs over 100,000lb empty, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_727 this one up to 150,000lb depending on fuel & load onboard at the time, can ‘jump’.
Maybe if flew. Yea…thats right… poster WOW figures it wanted to fly, no matter that the wind was hitting it from the side aft quarter. Must be an ex Delta jet. Delta ‘loves to fly & it shows’.
Here is another thought. Instead of ranting, perhaps the witnesses here can tell us, how far had the unloading gotten when the aircraft was spun about 90 degrees, nowhere near 180 degrees. The point is, what was the weight distribution at the time of the gust? Empty cabin forward, remaining cargo over wings & aft is more weight on the main gear. Center of gravity has moved aft. A big gust hitting the tail (ever tried to walk carrying a sheet of plywood in the wind?), & around it could go.
Gotta love threads like this.
Well.. here’s how I see it.
Ah never mind. Just another day in paradise with the local bloggers……
It’s the UBP’s fault…..
There we go. The most logical reason yet for it to spin. Had to be the UBPs fault. That group is not responsible for anything good after all. What other reason could there possibly be?
Actually Triangle, after consultation with the tower at BIA I can report that a request was made via the cockpit by a BAS employee to change a tire on the Port side.
Since it was a Canadian air carrier ( and we knnow they are chep as crap) the unit used to remove/convey/lift/lower containers was positioned under the Port wing to raise the craft so that the tires could be changed/and or rotated.
I got this info from the immigration officer who was on the tarmac having a cigarette break along with a few TCD guys and taxi operators that were waiting for luggage to fall of the ‘belt system’.
Hugo Sanches who cleans the Bar in the ‘forbiden zone’ says he sees this often. He stated that American Airlines does this regularly but just uses two blocks instead of one. Delta from Atlanta usually does this on taxi way Alfa whilst certain ground vehicles remove……………………………………
In order to settle this argument/discussion on what really happened to the aircraft, why not “go to the video!” They do have security cameras in that aircraft parking area right! What with 9/11 and homeland security etc. etc. where are the camera’s.
Hello! camera footage! anybody there??