Weekend of Mishaps at Two of the US’s Busiest Airports
Jeff Edwards October 06, 2014
Bad things typically come in threes, but they came in pairs over the weekend at both JFK and LAX.
An unusual series of incidents at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) kept crews and investigators busy over weekend.
ABC News reported that a parked Delta Air Lines plane was rear-ended by a Royal Jordanian Airlines aircraft at JFK late on Sunday evening. A spokesman for Chautauqua Airlines, which was operating the Delta flight, said that the plane had just arrived from Charleston International Airport (CHS) and was waiting to approach the gate when it was bumped from behind by the Royal Jordanian flight. No injuries were reported, and both aircraft were able to taxi to the terminal unassisted.
Also at JFK, NBC affiliate WNBC reported that security screenings were halted for about 90 minutes on Saturday afternoon while the TSA investigated a passenger who entered Terminal 8 through a closed screening checkpoint. The man had previously cleared security, but re-entered the terminal through a closed checkpoint after stepping outside for a cigarette. The unnamed man was questioned, but not arrested.
Earlier that same day, the Los Angeles Times reported a runway at LAX had closed for several hours following an incident involving an Aeromexico plane. After suffering a blown tire just before departure, the pilot of the flight was forced to abort the takeoff. Passengers were bused back to the terminal, and the runway remained closed while crews worked to clear the aircraft from the landing area.
The Los Angeles Times reported on Sunday that a Southwest Airlines flight en route from Sacramento International Airport (SMF) to Bob Hope Airport (BUR) diverted to LAX after a warning light on the flight deck indicated a possible problem with the aircraft’s wing flaps.
During an incident last month, another Southwest flight en route from SMF to BUR made an emergency landing at LAX after landing flaps on the plane failed. In Sunday’s incident, the pilot did not declare an emergency. According to a statement from Southwest, the decision to land the plane at LAX was made “out of an abundance of caution.”
[Photo: iStock]
There was a Southwest flight that diverted to LAX a few weeks ago because of concerns with the braking system. The LAX runways are longer than Burbank. It would make sense that if they were concerned that the flaps weren't working correctly they would error on the side of ensuring the longest runway possible.
The runways at LAX are munch longer with the longest being just a touch over 12,000 while the runways at BUR are very short with the longest at 6,800 ft. Flap problems often result in high speed landings which require longer runways. Southwest flights have diverted from MDW to ORD, DAL to DFW, and HOU to IAH in the past for basically the same reason.
I maybe naive, and typing this from the comfort of my safe spot on the ground, but what is the difference in maing an emergency or cautioius landing in LAX versus Burbank? These two airportts are practically right next to each other. Was the emergency so dire a diversion like this was necessary? Seems to me the change in flight path would take more time than just landing in BUR. Are Burbank's emergency capabilities not as good (should I be concerned about that?)? Are Southwest's repair capabilities in LAX and they would, therefore, be willing to inconvenience all of those passengers because it was easier/cheaper for them. That decision process that was made is intriguing to me.