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BA749 Basel - LHR Squawks 7700 and diverts to Stansted

BA749 Basel - LHR Squawks 7700 and diverts to Stansted

Old Mar 10, 2019, 5:21 pm
  #16  
 
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If it was shortage of fuel BA really are scraping the barrel �� by taking on the bare minimum plus reserve for each sector..
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Old Mar 10, 2019, 5:54 pm
  #17  
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Originally Posted by Deltus
I'll defer to Heathrow Tower's knowledge here, but I reckon running out of fuel would be a good underlying reason.
I was trying to say that there would surely need to be an underlying reason (fuel etc.) to require expedited communication with ATC, rather than just being unable to get through at a particular point in time. Im certainly not trying to quibble with Heathrow Towers SME knowledge.
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Old Mar 10, 2019, 7:27 pm
  #18  
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
Some years ago there was a bad crash near JFK when an aircraft in a holding pattern didn't effectively communicate its fuel situation to ATC and ask for immediate clearance to land ahead of some other flights.
1990, AV 52. A 707. The NTSB determined that the crash occurred due to the flight crew failing to properly declare a fuel emergency.
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Old Mar 10, 2019, 8:48 pm
  #19  
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For all we know there might have been an urgent medical issue on board in addition to everything else...
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Old Mar 11, 2019, 10:35 am
  #20  
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Originally Posted by krispy84
Looks like it broke off final approach into LHR and routed to Stansted
Just to re-iterate the OP noted the plane broke off on final approach into LHR, having flown a short holding pattern. Not a typical place to declare a fuel emergency and fly off to a more distant airport.

Where was this plane relative to the lightning strike on the 777 inbound from BOS ?
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Old Mar 11, 2019, 4:50 pm
  #21  
 
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Originally Posted by krispy84


I was trying to say that there would surely need to be an underlying reason (fuel etc.) to require expedited communication with ATC, rather than just being unable to get through at a particular point in time. Im certainly not trying to quibble with Heathrow Towers SME knowledge.
Regardless of fuel state, flying around LHR at a few thousand feet not in contact with ATC is as near as damn an emergency situation!
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Old Mar 11, 2019, 5:00 pm
  #22  
 
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Fair enough to some of the responses but aren't people missing the point that the craft was already on final approach? As mentioned by Oxon Flyer why would an aircraft fly to a more distant airport if on final approach and facing a fuel shortage?

I'm more interested than challenging to be honest.
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Old Mar 11, 2019, 5:18 pm
  #23  
 
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Ba749 was just ahead of the Ba238 in the arrival sequence, e.g. both on final approach. However it diverted much earlier (over central London) than Ba238 which was hit by lightning over Richmond Park. It may have been hit by lightning too. Am sure one of our insiders will let us know soon but it does not look like a fuel emergency.
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Old Mar 11, 2019, 5:31 pm
  #24  
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Would the following make sense:

A lightening strike or possibility of one when on final approach, causes the flight crew to cancel their approach in order to run checklists. Meanwhile LHR closes runways for a period or may do so shortly. Flight crew make a judgement call that further holding to join the landing pattern and/or a closed field would lead to minimum fuel issues. They therefore decided to divert to Stansted, where there will be less of a queue to land and better met conditions.
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Old Mar 11, 2019, 5:35 pm
  #25  
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Originally Posted by Takiteasy
Ba749 was just ahead of the Ba238 in the arrival sequence, e.g. both on final approach. However it diverted much earlier (over central London) than Ba238 which was hit by lightning over Richmond Park. It may have been hit by lightning too.
Or, possibly, it didn't like the look of whatever weather was between it and the field, and therefore broke off the approach, there was no assurance of getting around the "circuit" in the circumstances to be able to approach LHR again and land within the fuel available, and so it had to divert to another field at that point - STN was OK for weather but far enough away that an emergency call was required because of the expected fuel state on landing there. And perhaps the weather was looking different for BA238 given the time interval, but in the end there was still something in the same bit of weather that produced the nasty that hit it.

Or, in other words, we can all speculate as much as we like without shedding any light.
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Old Mar 11, 2019, 5:35 pm
  #26  
 
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That could be, given LHR was closed for circa 15mins to arrivals after 749 and 238 aborted the approach. Would be great to have the official version from an insider.
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Old Mar 11, 2019, 5:38 pm
  #27  
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Originally Posted by Globaliser
Or, in other words, we can all speculate as much as we like without shedding any light.
In the finest traditions of FT 🙂
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Old Mar 11, 2019, 7:30 pm
  #28  
 
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Ill defer to more knowledgable sources but IF this were a fuel emergency then this does NOT mean the aircraft is running out of fuel. I think flight crew are required to declare an emergency if they cant be sure they will arrive at their alternate airport without eating into final reserve fuel.

This video shows how some changes in estimated holding time can cause one to have to make a decision as to whether or not to divert:

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Old Mar 12, 2019, 4:56 am
  #29  
 
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Originally Posted by Takiteasy
Ba749 was just ahead of the Ba238 in the arrival sequence, e.g. both on final approach. However it diverted much earlier (over central London) than Ba238 which was hit by lightning over Richmond Park. It may have been hit by lightning too. Am sure one of our insiders will let us know soon but it does not look like a fuel emergency.
just to clarify BA749 was over Brixton when it decided to divert ... closer to central London then Richmond Park, but not what i would call central London !
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Old Mar 13, 2019, 9:42 am
  #30  
 
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Originally Posted by krispy84
BA685 from Innsbruck looks like its doing the same. On approach to Stansted now.
I was on this flight. We were diverted apparently as a precaution due to the reports from other flights ahead of us.
After landing at Stansted there was some discussion about whether to disembark (some pax living in the area were particularly keen to do so).
We were on the ground for a couple of hours before flying on to LHR (15 mins wheels up to wheels down).

Wrt refuelling, we were delayed departing Innsbruck to refuel. We then had to refuel again at Stansted.
Free soft drinks were dispensed on board during the delay.

There was much discussion on board about compensation for the eventual 3hr or so delay in landing at T5, but presumed by all that would be rejected due to it being extreme weather-related.
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