Text 6007, 46 rader
Skriven 2010-03-20 11:54:43 av Ward Dossche (2:292/854)
   Kommentar till text 5998 av Roy Witt (1:387/22)
Ärende: Re: King
================
RW> I recall hearing or reading about a Boeing competitor's airplane that had
RW> that screw in the tail. It was the cause of a few crashes before they got
RW> it under control. One plane landed safely when the pilot noticed
RW> something
RW> weird about the rudder response to the controls. Come to find out that
RW> the screw or the assembly that turns the rudder was stripped.
 
The crash of an Alaska Airlines MD83 Jan.31 2000 flight 261 is notorious. Due
to bad maintenance and no lubrication the jackscrew assembly that controls
pitch-surfaces on the tail was worn-out and caused los of altitude. The crew
regained control. As this happened within sight of LAX airport they considered
diverting which would've saved them. A maintenance guy via radio advised them
to continue to San Francisco in order not to upset the schedule.
 
Pretty soon after a diversion to LAX was requested anyway, the jackscrew
assembly came apart due to excessive wear and the plane uncontrollably went
into a nosedive due to the blocked stabilizer position. The pilots momentarily
even flew the plane upside-down to arrest the descent but that also failed and
the aircraft went inverted nose-down at high speed.
 
There's a lot of material to be found on the internet.
 
When this accident happened, MD had already been aquired by Boeing.
 
RW> I heard the other day that fares are going to go up soon.
 
Actually, the fares aren't that bad.
 
A low-season economy fare Brussels to New York in 1974 did cost 26,000Bfr,
which translates in 644 Euro (871US$).
 
Today it's 476 Euro (643US$). Most of that are taxes, 223 Euro as a matter of
fact (301US$). The actual flight without taxes only costs 253 Euro (342US$).
 
Maybe in North America the situation is different. My example was transatlantic
but continuing to Montana adds only 261 Euro (353US$) to the ticket including
taxes which I think is decent.
 
Now every year towards the end of June there always is a price-hike which
spirals-down by about Aug.20. Googling helps finding these fare-windows. (the
laws of "offer and demand")
 
 \%/@rd

--- D'Bridge 3.54
 * Origin: Many Glacier -- "The Lord of the Pings" (2:292/854)