Text 19345, 52 rader
Skriven 2008-08-02 01:13:26 av Michiel van der Vlist (2:280/5555)
     Kommentar till en text av Ward Dossche (2:292/854)
Ärende: Immigration
===================
Hello Ward,

On Friday August 01 2008 22:42, you wrote to me:

 Mv>> RW> When did one fall apart?

 Mv>> Amsterdam Bijlmermeer, October 4th 1992. EL Al Boeing 747
 Mv>> freighter.

 WD> A failing fuse-pin is not the same as "falling apart".

Two engines coming off causing enough structural damage to lose control and a
crash amounts to "falling apart" in my POV. That it started with a failing fuse
pin does not change that. Falling apart always starts with the first part that
fails.

 WD> The resulting damage to control surfaces (leading edge slats and
 WD> flaps) on the right wing made it highly improbable, if not virtually
 WD> impossible, to execute a landing of any kind.

It wasn't the first time this happened with this type of aircraft. In France a
few years earlier a 747 also lost two enigines on the same side due to a
failing pin. By an incredible combination of skill and luck, the pilot managed
to put it down on a runway without anyone getting killed.

 WD> It has never been established why the fuse-pin on #3 engine-pilon
 WD> failed but one of the likely causes is/was improper maintenance

Or a design flaw....

 WD> whereby the #3 engine was mal-aligned and caused uncrolable stresses
 WD> on the KJFK-EHAM flight. Nearly exacly the same case as the American
 WD> Airlines DC10 which crashed at Chicago O'Hare.

Apples and Oranges. The DC10 had all the hydraulic lines on the front of the
wing. The (one) ripped off engine caused all three independent hydraulic
systems to fail making the plane totally uncontrolable. It rolled right after
take off and crashed immidiately. The 747 had some control left, and managed to
stay in the air long enough to come around twice and almost make it back to the
glide path.

In hindsight, the pilot should have ditched it in the IJssel lake. Then there
would have been no casualties on the ground and the crew might even have
survived. The pilot might have attempted that had he been aware of the extent
of the damage, but it is my understanding that he was not even aware that two
engines had come off.


Cheers, Michiel

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