Fitch

Boarding complete on MH1145 PEN-KUL this lunchtime and doors closed.

Elderly Chinese-looking gent in 2A, clearly a big cheese from the amount of bowing and scraping going on, then unbuckles and heads for the forward toilet. Gets smiles and bows from the assembled CC, you know how it goes...

Now, as a middle-aged man I certainly appreciate a bit of understanding and compassion when it comes to matters of urgency - but then we push - the gent is still in the toilet and all is calm in the galley.

And then we start to TAXI !!!! The gent is still in the toilet and CC start gentle tapping on the door with super-polite "are you done yet" questions....

We are now well into our taxi and I can see the runway looming... - elderly gent comes out of the toilet and is escorted / supported to his seat by an FA.

We are at the threshold - she literally RUNS to her seat.

I kid you not, the elderly gent clicks home his belt and in the same instant the pilot turns on the tap....

Can anyone down here spell "cabin secure" (or for that matter "hip replacement") ?

Shockingly sloppy !

seattle29

When I flew CGK-KUL with Garuda last year, the cabin crew were still walking down the aisle when we started to accelerate on the runway. No announcement from the flight-deck for them to take their seats for take-off. They ran to their seats holding dearly onto the seat backs not to fall over, and looked sheepish for the rest of the flight. I reported it to Garuda but never heard back...

djjaguar64

Mmhuh, see something say something!

TennisNoob

VIP's are always VIP's no doubt. Airline wouldn't care what the public says.

Remember CX last week on cooking crabs for an simple diamond member?

Bakpapier

What if the man had not come out, would they have halted the plane before entering the runway?

TennisNoob

Probably so because it seems like someone was on the phone with the cockpit.

Orwaid

Hi -

Once on a Bangkok Airways flight from Samui to BKK, a woman went to the bathroom during descent. She did not emerge until the plane arrived at the gate.

Fitch

Also, I'm not sure whether to be lost in admiration at MH pilots' ability to fly through monsoon weather without turning a hair, or somewhat worried at their boldness.

Certainly, at PEN, a 3300m runway (TORA 2500m plus change) where I landed and took off twice in a week) it went:

Landing #1: Into a dry 04 with a mild tail wind (from observing the windsock as we taxied in). Flared over the numbers then floated it for a good 5 seconds or so before slamming it down and standing on the brakes. Missed the high-speed exit and stopped about 100(?)m from the end of the runway.

Takeoff #1: Pax in lav incident...

Landing #2: Tropical downpour over PEN, lots of chop on finals, lots of control input, flared about 250m past the threshold, put it down firmly, stood on the brakes, final sharp braking to make the turn into the high-speed exit... I suppose the rain cooled the brakes down

Takeoff #2: Later the same day, still very wet. Now, I reckon at PEN you have about 45 seconds of runway for takeoff. On our previous takeoff we rotated at 31 secs. Today, I was counting again - when I got to the high 30s my breath started to catch - eventually we rotated at 42 secs

I survived the experience, but couldn't help feeling a little relieved that I won't have to fly MH again for a few more months !

seattle29

Just my 2 cents for 2 of the flights you mention

Landing #1 - Runway 04 is preferred by ATC because an approach over the sea is better (for noise reduction or pollution I presume). You'll notice that there's a high speed exit from 04 but not from 22 (because 04 is nearly always used unless tailwinds are too high). I've often landed on 04 in mild tailwinds, and it's permitted within limits (Boeing says 15 knots for the 737-800, but most operators including MH adopt a lower limit of 10 knots). In your case when the pilots missed the high-speed exit, it makes no sense to overstress the brakes by continuing to decelerate fast - better to roll out slowly to the end of the runway and turn off at the end. Can't see anything wrong with that.

Takeoff #2 - Could be multiple reasons - perhaps lots of cargo on the second flight (connecting at KUL onto other destinations?), so the aircraft was heavier? Or perhaps it was lighter and the pilots used a reduced thrust takeoff? I'm sure the aircraft still departed with plenty of runway left - saying that you rotated at 42 out of 45 available seconds is misleading. MH pilots fly in/out of PEN all the time and are more than familiar with its runway length.

Fitch

Fair enough, though I would point out that landing #1 inadvertently ticked off an item on my bucket list: I now know what it's like to land on a carrier deck

db07mufan

I fly in and out Penang quite often. To put things straight for to many armchair pilots out there.

1) I don't know if you know what TORA is but PEN RWY04 is 3354m long. TORA(take off run available) and LDA(landing distance available) is both at 3354m.

2) Runway length to high speed taxiway Charlie is 1900m. That length requires some amount of braking for an aircraft of the 737s size. More braking needed even if you do not land precisely on the thousand foot markers (tailwind). The typical distance to stop a plane on a comfortable brake pace(without having the standing up on brakes feeling) around that size is around 2200m.
If you miss Charlie there is a 90 degree taxiway just 400m ahead. I think this is where you turned, it is not 100m from the end of the runway.

3) Brakes are equipped with brake fans, crucial for operations in tropical climates.

4) Takeoff roll time is not an accurate gauge of an awry takeoff per se. Planes often takeoff on reduced thrust to save wear and tear. Lighter planes might takeoff on a lower thrust setting, requiring longer roll time to reach rotation speed. In retrospect, if a plane needs 2200m to get airborne, on a lower thrust(lower acceleration) it takes longer to reach that 2200m.

Trust the pilots, they're in the same metal tube as you do !