Punki

We were flying home from Vegas yesterday and had to return to the gate due to an instrument malfunction. It was very minor and was fixed in a very short period of time. There were, however, some very nervous flyers who refused to stay on the "malfunctioning" plane. I had no idea that some passengers were so fearful.

Made some non-rev standys very happy.

greybeardy

Punki, I can't resist. Were you upgraded to first class?

westcoastman

Good for them. I have always thought about doing it but I have never actually had the guts to get up and leave when they are having mechanical problems. I admire these people for acting on their instincts and protecting their safety.

fsdks

I suppose the flyers who left the plane were given no-cost ticket changes for a later flight. AS has always been good, IMHO, in resolving skittish passenger issues. IIRC, in 1997 my turn around flight from FBX to SEA was delayed coming to FBX b/c of mechanical and then delayed again for mechanical on the way back. Several passengers refused to board and got no-cost ticket changes to a later flight.

Is this how AS is still doing business?

channa

If you don't trust the carrier to properly resolve mechanical issues, you shouldn't buy the ticket in the first place.

I have left planes with mechanicals, but out of fear of misconnects, not safety concerns.

beaver

On a similiar note...

This morning I was on AS100 (734, N780AS) ANC-PDX. We started our take-off roll on runway 32 and within a couple of hundred feet the engines stopped and we rolled to a stop.

FO came on and announced that we'd had a mechanical problem, minor, that we'd taxi back off the runway, they'd talk to maintenance, and hopefully all would be well.

Few minutes later FO comes back on saying they talked to maintenance and were able to fix the problem, no other info. We taxied back to 32 and took off normally.

I asked one of the FAs later on if she knew what had happened. Apparently the speed brake had not been "secured properly" causing the aborted take-off. Has anyone else ever experienced this? It was a first for me.

I'm sure there were a few who were a little nervous...

fsdks

IIRC, the pilot is supposed to secure the speed brakes by placing the lever in the down position. On landing, the speed brakes are engaged and deploy at speed to slow the jet. Failure to disengage the speed brakes during taxiing will result in the speed brakes deploying on take off or at least signaling an alarm. To correct the error, I suspect the pilot spoke with maintenance who reminded him to review his preflight checklist and that is when the lever was discovered in the incorrect position.

westcoastman

Well things happen to any carriers and I think about the many times on the public bus when the thing just plain broke down completely and everyone was forced to walk the rest of the way. Not much you can do at 35,000 feet. If I had a choice I would avoid flying except for vacations but this is the only fesible way for my weekly 1000 mile round trips. One reason I choose AS is for their non-stops. My most common mechanical problem I have experienced a few times on various airlines has been when the plane's power shut down on the taxi and the plane had to use the back-up battery which they say is OK since after the engines power up you don't need an additional power source.

channa

Your experience is radically different from mine. My most common "mechanical" problem on AS has been not enough passengers booked on the flight.

Punki

The passengers were very apologetic and the crew were wonderful with them, repeatedly reassuring them that it was perfectly fine if they wanted to wait for a later flight. The crew had already checked and rebooked them on the next flight out (for free) before they deplaned.

Yes, greybeardy, we were in first. Here is a copy of mypost which explained.

When things get out of my control (even upgrades) I give them up and see what happens.

BearX220

Right on, right on... a "problem" regularly visible at LAX T3 any weekday early evening.

westcoastman

Agreed...At think at least two flights in a row to SNA were cancelled on Friday afternoon. People were re-booked on later flights. Those booked in FC were probably SOL.

MrPaul0722

Welcome to the forum. Spoken like a true pilot or maintenance person. ^

laptop9999

The plane probably did not carry enough Philangie(sp).

Please refer to the Friends finale.

Cromely

I'm guessing those were legitimate mechanicals.

I was on the SNA-SEA 8:45 PM flight that evening. Due to mechanicals in Oakland, they evening flights were delayed to the point that our aircraft (due in from Oakland) would not be able to land in SNA and take off before curfew. Apparently, even with the noise abatement procedure in SNA, residents who live near the airport find the airport too loud, so no planes are allowed to leave after 10:00 PM.

They AS diverted the flight to LAX and bussed 87 passengers form SNA to LAX, to make the flight to SEA. The passengers who landed at LAX were then bussed back to SNA.

I can't imagine that whole nightmare (handeled well by SNA AS Staff) would be caused by creating "mechanicals" for light loads earlier in the day.

I only whish they could have bused us from airside SNA to airside LAX instead of clearing security again.

Cromely.