Community
Wiki Posts
Search

Weird Flight...

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jul 20, 2013, 10:28 am
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Western Wisconsin
Programs: DL DM, HH Devalued Diamond, Hertz President's Club
Posts: 800
Weird Flight...

So last night leg 1, DL 1053 PBI-ATL, MD88. It was on time which is a rarity so I was pleased.

Get on, lead FA is a little older, wearing a BIG plastic pointsettia in her pocket. She is a little strange. Trying to be extra funny. Thanked and welcomed veterans before pre-flight safety spiel. Referenced 'God' in it several times - does not offend me just not sure everyone appreciates.

Taxiing - bev cart in F rolling all over. She forgot to stow. Also, never picked up our empty PDBs.

Takeoff - coffee filter box comes flying at us down the aisle. Luckily decanter stayed in place.

During flight, picked up someones little mutt and carried it around. Dirty, weird.

Pre-landing - was still up and moving around about 60 seconds prior to landing....hurring to advise us that our seatbelts should be fastened and tray tables up. A little late?

Overall, I guess a little levity is welcomed from the usualy stodginess but she seemed like a complete scatter-brain!

What topped this flight off is the landing. I noticed our sink rate/glide path really fast as we approached the apron. He HIT the gas.....but too little too late. Slammed onto the runway well ahead of the piano keys. Very hard landing. The FA of course yelled into the PA, "Well, wasn't THAT special" which cracked everyone up including the pilots which I heard laughing through the door.

She then proceeded to sing, "Ain't No Sunshine When You're Gone" as we taxiied in.

I had to check that I was not on SW.

Anyone else on this flight or had this crazy woman as their FA?

Last edited by orr333; Jul 20, 2013 at 10:29 am Reason: typo
orr333 is offline  
Old Jul 20, 2013, 10:59 am
  #2  
IHG Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AA EXP, IHG Diamond, IC Amb
Posts: 5,510
LoL!!!


What an interesting flight!!
355F1 is offline  
Old Jul 20, 2013, 11:06 am
  #3  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,117
Did the tail stay on?
misterbean is offline  
Old Jul 20, 2013, 11:16 am
  #4  
mdb
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: SRQ
Posts: 2,168
Originally Posted by misterbean
Did the tail stay on?
mdb is offline  
Old Jul 20, 2013, 11:20 am
  #5  
us2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Southern California/In the air
Programs: DL
Posts: 10,382
Originally Posted by orr333
...The FA of course yelled into the PA, "Well, wasn't THAT special" which cracked everyone up including the pilots which I heard laughing through the door...
Sounds like the Church Lady from SNL in the '80s has a new job!

On a serious note, a landing in front of the "piano keys" is something of concern as it points to an unstabilized approach. I'm taking your word about this at face value here but none of this sounds all that good from a safety perspective -- you've got an unsecured beverage cart and a short landing. As a pilot myself, I understand the need for a "firm" touchdown in certain circumstances but landing short of the piano keys is a big no-no and not at all humorous.
us2 is offline  
Old Jul 20, 2013, 11:56 am
  #6  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
IHG Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHX & AGP
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,453
Originally Posted by orr333
Taxiing - Also, never picked up our empty PDBs.


What topped this flight off is the landing. I noticed our sink rate/glide path really fast as we approached the apron. He HIT the gas.....but too little too late. Slammed onto the runway well ahead of the piano keys. Very hard landing.
I have had my PDB many times while taking off on DL.

Sometime the landing in SLC has been a lot of fun too, we have hit pretty hard, but never slammed as you say.
FlightNurse is offline  
Old Jul 20, 2013, 12:35 pm
  #7  
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 241
Did she get into the F liquor supply (and had the pilots share?) ? As you said, a little a personal approach isn't all bad. But the lose galley items and the short landings are all safety concerns.
underattack is offline  
Old Jul 20, 2013, 12:49 pm
  #8  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Treasure Coast, FL
Programs: DL Diamond, Marriott LT Plat, HH Diamond, Avis Preferred Plus, National Executive
Posts: 4,578
Reminds of a Continental flight I took from PDX-IAH back in 2007.

Older, kookie lady was the FA up front serving PDB's. She dilly dallied around so long she didn't make it to her seat on take off (very short taxi in PDX).

Probably wasn't supposed to be funny but the look on her face and struggle to get to the seat going down the runway was a little humorous. She made it back and strapped in.
apodo77 is offline  
Old Jul 20, 2013, 3:28 pm
  #9  
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: PVU, SLC
Programs: DL Pork Medallion, PP, GE
Posts: 1,657
Back in May I was in the Y bulkhead on a 76U. We were super delayed getting out of JFK and in their rush, the FAs didn't secure one of the overhead bins over the galley area, where all the J water bottles were stored. So we throttle up and as we roar down the runway, the door pops open. I don't know if anyone else noticed (it was right in front of me), but as we rotated I heard the bottles shifting, and as we climbed out and the landing gear retracted, one came loose and then they all came tumbling out, like a landslide. The first few just fell and rolled, then the next batch nearly leapt out of the storage space and flew through the air, narrowly missing some of our heads. I think some rolled all the way back to the middle lavs.
brocklee9000 is offline  
Old Jul 20, 2013, 4:38 pm
  #10  
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: CLT
Programs: DL Medialia Platina
Posts: 770
Originally Posted by us2
Sounds like the Church Lady from SNL in the '80s has a new job!

On a serious note, a landing in front of the "piano keys" is something of concern as it points to an unstabilized approach. I'm taking your word about this at face value here but none of this sounds all that good from a safety perspective -- you've got an unsecured beverage cart and a short landing. As a pilot myself, I understand the need for a "firm" touchdown in certain circumstances but landing short of the piano keys is a big no-no and not at all humorous.
To the OP:
Just so we're all using the same definitions, when you say piano keys, are you referring to the 12 (?) thin lines that are located at the beginning of the runway, before the runway number, that mean "runway begins HERE"?

If so, landing before them = BAD.

Please tell me that you didn't hear any crashing noises as the plane plowed through the approach lighting systems...?
Throw Down Your Leavy Screens is offline  
Old Jul 20, 2013, 4:44 pm
  #11  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: CHA, MAN;
Programs: Delta DM 1 MM; Hz PC
Posts: 11,169
Once on a CO flight (Express Jet ERJ 145) the FA was so distracted it landed with her still stood up- not good!
GRALISTAIR is offline  
Old Jul 20, 2013, 6:27 pm
  #12  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Western Wisconsin
Programs: DL DM, HH Devalued Diamond, Hertz President's Club
Posts: 800
Originally Posted by us2
Sounds like the Church Lady from SNL in the '80s has a new job!
On a serious note, a landing in front of the "piano keys" is something of concern as it points to an unstabilized approach. I'm taking your word about this at face value here but none of this sounds all that good from a safety perspective -- you've got an unsecured beverage cart and a short landing. As a pilot myself, I understand the need for a "firm" touchdown in certain circumstances but landing short of the piano keys is a big no-no and not at all humorous.
Originally Posted by ThrowDownYourLeavyScreens
To the OP:
Just so we're all using the same definitions, when you say piano keys, are you referring to the 12 (?) thin lines that are located at the beginning of the runway, before the runway number, that mean "runway begins HERE"?

If so, landing before them = BAD.

Please tell me that you didn't hear any crashing noises as the plane plowed through the approach lighting systems...?
I did some looking - I may have my definitions mixed up - we were well ahead of the aiming stripes. To be on the same page, referring to FIG 2-3-1 here http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publi...m/aim0203.html we landed between the threshhold markings and the touchdown zone marking. What I have always called the piano keys are the wider, aiming stripes and I was incorrect in that I assume.

We were definitely a little shorter than usual, and coming down faster than desireable as noted by the last second power up. The interesting thing is that the MD88/90 D95 set usually tend to float, not wanting to stall out so to have this one coming in as hard as it did was alarming.
orr333 is offline  
Old Jul 20, 2013, 6:30 pm
  #13  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 541
It's REALLY difficult to gauge where you touch down in an aircraft as a passenger. There are also touch down targets that look like "piano keys" but aren't.
smachiz is offline  
Old Jul 20, 2013, 7:07 pm
  #14  
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: MCO
Programs: DL-DM/1MM, HILTON-DIA, .HYATT-DIA/GLOB , IHG-PLT,HERTZ 5*, NATIONAL ES
Posts: 8,691
On MCO-MSP Monday, the coffee pot was not secured at tske-off and it went crashing to the floor. My partner was in 1B and was sprayed with coffeeish water. He was issued 5K SkyPesos...

Last edited by Crazyhotelguy; Jul 20, 2013 at 9:12 pm
Crazyhotelguy is offline  
Old Jul 20, 2013, 7:24 pm
  #15  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Auckland, NZ/New York, NY/ATL
Programs: DL DM MM, BIS 2.4MM, EK Gold, SQ Gold, Marriott Gold, HH Gold,
Posts: 5,222
Originally Posted by misterbean
Did the tail stay on?
Too soon!
DLATL777 is offline  


Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.