BA flight (op WDL Aviation) lands in Edinburgh instead of Dusseldorf by mistake
Mar 25, 2019, 3:31 pm
#91
Join Date: Dec 2007
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I've been on plenty of WDL private charter flights from CGN in the past and although the aircraft might be a little tired, they are not as bad as the JOTA aircraft that BA sometimes use at LCY. I assume that this'll cost WDL a fair bit either way!
Mar 25, 2019, 4:13 pm
#93
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Thinking about the pilot asking who still wanted to go to DUS and being mocked for it it seems to be a perfectly sensible question as it’s possible that some ones trip was now in vain And BA could then return them to a LON airport of their choice on a later flight rather than making them go all the way to DUS.
Mar 25, 2019, 4:16 pm
#94
Join Date: Oct 2015
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Thinking about the pilot asking who still wanted to go to DUS and being mocked for it it seems to be a perfectly sensible question as it’s possible that some ones trip was now in vain And BA coukd the. Justreturns them to LON on a later flight rather than making them go all the way to DUS.
Mar 25, 2019, 4:22 pm
#95
Join Date: Dec 2009
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Mar 25, 2019, 7:10 pm
#98
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Boston, USA
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Mar 25, 2019, 8:01 pm
#99
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I wonder what the preflight announcement said. Surely someone would have pointed out to the flight attendant that it was Dusseldorf, not Edinburgh as the destination.
I suppose if this was announced as the dusseldorf flight by the pilot and then ended up in Edinburgh that would be even more worrying. A case of engaging the autopilot and cracking on.
I suppose if this was announced as the dusseldorf flight by the pilot and then ended up in Edinburgh that would be even more worrying. A case of engaging the autopilot and cracking on.
Mar 25, 2019, 8:22 pm
#100
Join Date: May 2006
Location: PMD
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This mistake wouldn't happen if either:
(1) Pilots had to walk out to the gate and would've seen the signage.
(2) Flight attendant announcements (presumably DUS) can be heard by pilots.
(3) UK had outbound immigration checkpoints and gates would be different between domestic and international.
(4) UK required pilots to clear immigration like USCBP. Even US crew arriving LHR can skip UKBF and ride vans nonstop from gate to hotel. Apparently they deem crew manifest, API and US passports sufficient to skip inspection, which means it would be OK too for a EU pilot coming in from Schengen.
(1) Pilots had to walk out to the gate and would've seen the signage.
(2) Flight attendant announcements (presumably DUS) can be heard by pilots.
(3) UK had outbound immigration checkpoints and gates would be different between domestic and international.
(4) UK required pilots to clear immigration like USCBP. Even US crew arriving LHR can skip UKBF and ride vans nonstop from gate to hotel. Apparently they deem crew manifest, API and US passports sufficient to skip inspection, which means it would be OK too for a EU pilot coming in from Schengen.
Mar 25, 2019, 9:59 pm
#101
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: VPS
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ATL has digital signs on the outside of the terminal at each gate that are used to provide O&D information for the plane that is supposed to be at the specific gate. So the pilot can get one last cross check of destination as they're getting the tug away from the terminal.
I've had FAs flub it and start with a 'Welcome to Biloxi' just after wheels down at VPS, but then my home airport is a short spoke to regional hubs and the FAs working the flight do a lot of segments in a short period of time and I can understand losing track after the third or fourth airport of the day.
I've had FAs flub it and start with a 'Welcome to Biloxi' just after wheels down at VPS, but then my home airport is a short spoke to regional hubs and the FAs working the flight do a lot of segments in a short period of time and I can understand losing track after the third or fourth airport of the day.
Mar 25, 2019, 11:46 pm
#102
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This mistake wouldn't happen if either:
(3) UK had outbound immigration checkpoints and gates would be different between domestic and international.
(4) UK required pilots to clear immigration like USCBP. Even US crew arriving LHR can skip UKBF and ride vans nonstop from gate to hotel. Apparently they deem crew manifest, API and US passports sufficient to skip inspection, which means it would be OK too for a EU pilot coming in from Schengen.
(3) UK had outbound immigration checkpoints and gates would be different between domestic and international.
(4) UK required pilots to clear immigration like USCBP. Even US crew arriving LHR can skip UKBF and ride vans nonstop from gate to hotel. Apparently they deem crew manifest, API and US passports sufficient to skip inspection, which means it would be OK too for a EU pilot coming in from Schengen.
Mar 26, 2019, 1:11 am
#103
Join Date: Apr 2006
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I love the amount of people trying to persuade us that they have homing pigeon instincts, gems like:
"I can't believe no one noticed they were going north not east"
"cant believe the crew didn't notice"
"Did no one notice they didn't cross water"
paraphrasing: what a bunch of idiots, i'd have noticed in seconds because light 32778 didnt flash and squwark ident 7763 on talk off followed by a 22 degree banking manoeuvre, once i'd noticed I'd have alerted the crew, the pilots and BA advanced remote control flying services with my portable BA GGL contacting secret pager and saved the day.
Sorry, I belong firmly in the camp of pretty much ZERO chance I'd have noticed. Christ when I'm sitting in a rear facing CW seat I have to pull up the moving map and twist my head 120 degrees to figure out what I'm looking at out of the window.
"I can't believe no one noticed they were going north not east"
"cant believe the crew didn't notice"
"Did no one notice they didn't cross water"
paraphrasing: what a bunch of idiots, i'd have noticed in seconds because light 32778 didnt flash and squwark ident 7763 on talk off followed by a 22 degree banking manoeuvre, once i'd noticed I'd have alerted the crew, the pilots and BA advanced remote control flying services with my portable BA GGL contacting secret pager and saved the day.
Sorry, I belong firmly in the camp of pretty much ZERO chance I'd have noticed. Christ when I'm sitting in a rear facing CW seat I have to pull up the moving map and twist my head 120 degrees to figure out what I'm looking at out of the window.
Mar 26, 2019, 1:44 am
#104
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: VS Flying Club (Gold), BA Exec Club (Silver), Hilton Honors (Diamond)
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Presumably since that aircraft and therefore WDL has done rotations to/from EDI previously, the sequence of events is likely that that captain & crew did a briefing before the outbound sector from DUS that they were doing DUS-LCY-EDI (and then presumably EDI-LCY-DUS) and they were all aligned for that.
BA don’t check BPs on boarding short haul and if the announcements were a bit lax on board it’s possible no one realised what happened!
I reckon it was an airport/ground staff issue rather than an error on the part of the crew.
I would like to think that I would have noticed we didn’t go over water if I was on there, but unless there was something obviously “wrong” (crew not doing service or looking confused or worried themselves) I don’t think I would have the gall to challenge it. I would like to thing my internal navigation and geography are on point but a recent flight into LGW took a totally different routing to what I thought we had done!
BA don’t check BPs on boarding short haul and if the announcements were a bit lax on board it’s possible no one realised what happened!
I reckon it was an airport/ground staff issue rather than an error on the part of the crew.
I would like to think that I would have noticed we didn’t go over water if I was on there, but unless there was something obviously “wrong” (crew not doing service or looking confused or worried themselves) I don’t think I would have the gall to challenge it. I would like to thing my internal navigation and geography are on point but a recent flight into LGW took a totally different routing to what I thought we had done!
Mar 26, 2019, 2:16 am
#105
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: UK
Programs: BA Blue, IC Spire Ambassador
Posts: 5,227
I honestly don’t think I’d have the foggiest until landing in Edinburgh. Layers of cloud look the same!
The cabin crew probably raised eyebrows about the number of German speakers on board!
The cabin crew probably raised eyebrows about the number of German speakers on board!