Landing with the Fire Trucks at LHR
May 13, 2000, 2:11 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 1999
Programs: AA EXP, SPG PLT, Hyatt DIA, Hilton GLD
Posts: 974
Landing with the Fire Trucks at LHR
About ten days ago I was on an AA flight from LHR to JFK. We were about an hour out of LHR when the captain announces that a light in the cockpit shows one of the engine thrust reversers is not locked into position. He said he didn't want to attempt the ocenanic crossing and that we would have to burn off fuel before we attempted to return back to LHR to land. We circled for about 45 minutes and he came back on to say that we were still so heavy (300,000 pounds overweight) that we would have to land extremely fast and that he would ask to have the runway cleared and fire trucks positioned in case the brakes caught fire trying to stop the overloaded plane.
In the end the landing was very fast but we all survived (the Fire Chief at LHR drives a Land Rover Discovery Fire Truck).
I never complained to AA, but they voluntarilly sent me a letter stating they would deposit 9,000 FF miles into my account for the scare. (I am Exec.Plat).
In the end the landing was very fast but we all survived (the Fire Chief at LHR drives a Land Rover Discovery Fire Truck).
I never complained to AA, but they voluntarilly sent me a letter stating they would deposit 9,000 FF miles into my account for the scare. (I am Exec.Plat).
May 13, 2000, 3:25 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: if it's Thursday, this must be Belgium
Programs: UA 1K MM
Posts: 6,484
I think that pilots in general are *very* wary of any kind of malfunction having to do with the thrust reversers.
Recall the total loss of the Lauda Air aircraft (and passengers) several years ago that was attributed to INFLIGHT DEPLOYMENT OF THRUST REVERSERS. How scary is that?
Recall the total loss of the Lauda Air aircraft (and passengers) several years ago that was attributed to INFLIGHT DEPLOYMENT OF THRUST REVERSERS. How scary is that?