At what point is an aircraft written off?
Aug 1, 2019, 5:14 pm
#16
Join Date: May 2006
Location: 5 miles from EMA
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I think hull loss is where the aircraft is damaged beyond repair or destroyed, and a write off is where it's no longer economic to repair or rebuild. It can be a fine distinction. As an example I had a car that was written off after it had been in a hailstorm and it looked like someone took a ball peen hammer to every panel. It drove perfectly, but was deemed uneconomic to repair; when the adjuster's damage estimate came to twice the car's book value they stopped counting and wrote it off.
A lot of it is at the discretion of the insurer, but I guess that both BA and QF had the final say
Aug 2, 2019, 10:43 am
#18
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 836
I ask as on my recent return from Mexico we were allocated 772 G-VIIO. Obviously wanting to check whether this was a refurbished bird I googled the registration. Up popped a story about a crash at Las Vegas in 2015, assuming it was a minor knock. I didn't pay much attention and had a wonderful flight home in WTP seat 10K, loved the new IFE, btw.
Today I rechecked the plane and find out that this plane was involved in a major engine fire as it was about to take off in 09/15. All passengers were safely evacuated and no one seriously injured, however watching the intensity of the fire on a tube video (Hopefully the link works) I am utterly flabbergasted that the plane was able to re-enter service. How the wings remained intact with the obvious intensity of the fire is amazing and testament to the engineering skills of the aircraft engineers.
I'm sure all planes involved in accidents have to pass rigorous testing before re-entering service, but wondered how bad a crash has to be before a plane is written off?
Note to self.. Only to google aircraft registration number post flight
PS: Apologies to anyone of a nervous flight disposition
https://worldairlinenews.com/2015/09...n-engine-fire/
Today I rechecked the plane and find out that this plane was involved in a major engine fire as it was about to take off in 09/15. All passengers were safely evacuated and no one seriously injured, however watching the intensity of the fire on a tube video (Hopefully the link works) I am utterly flabbergasted that the plane was able to re-enter service. How the wings remained intact with the obvious intensity of the fire is amazing and testament to the engineering skills of the aircraft engineers.
I'm sure all planes involved in accidents have to pass rigorous testing before re-entering service, but wondered how bad a crash has to be before a plane is written off?
Note to self.. Only to google aircraft registration number post flight
PS: Apologies to anyone of a nervous flight disposition
https://worldairlinenews.com/2015/09...n-engine-fire/
Simply put, it's up to insurance as to whether or not to write it off. It all comes down to value of the aircraft vs repair cost, just as it is with anything else (cars, home, etc). The airline, unless they want to personally foot the bill (which they wouldn't in a situation like this), has nothing to do with the decision.
Aug 2, 2019, 10:56 am
#19
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,596
Sadly repairs don't always work. I used to fly a B747-200 for a well known Asian airline. The aircraft was involved in a tailscrape which was repaired by Boeing. I happily flew it across theSouth China sea for a while then went off to do other things. A few months after I left the rear pressure bulkhead ruptured at cruising altitude resulting in the loss of the aircraft and all passengers and crew on board. The final report blamed a faulty repair on Boeing. Of course if the tailscrape had never happened then neither would have the repair. Food for thought
Aug 2, 2019, 11:01 am
#20
Join Date: May 2016
Location: EDI
Programs: Was BA GGL but no longer travelling
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Sadly repairs don't always work. I used to fly a B747-200 for a well known Asian airline. The aircraft was involved in a tailscrape which was repaired by Boeing. I happily flew it across theSouth China sea for a while then went off to do other things. A few months after I left the rear pressure bulkhead ruptured at cruising altitude resulting in the loss of the aircraft and all passengers and crew on board. The final report blamed a faulty repair on Boeing. Of course if the tailscrape had never happened then neither would have the repair. Food for thought
Aug 2, 2019, 11:04 am
#21
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Bombay
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Isn’t it up to the insurance company to make an evaluation of the cost of buffing out vs scrapping?
I once secured a booking of two RR Trents (one for an A380 and one for a Dreamliner) to Singapore, and the value of the cargo was higher than the value of the ship. Supposedly one of them was the new engine for Nancy Bird-Walton, but I’ve been unable to verify. Our stevedores had to take out extra insurance as their existing cover was nowhere near enough.
I once secured a booking of two RR Trents (one for an A380 and one for a Dreamliner) to Singapore, and the value of the cargo was higher than the value of the ship. Supposedly one of them was the new engine for Nancy Bird-Walton, but I’ve been unable to verify. Our stevedores had to take out extra insurance as their existing cover was nowhere near enough.
Aug 2, 2019, 11:29 am
#25
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,596
Isn’t it up to the insurance company to make an evaluation of the cost of buffing out vs scrapping?
I once secured a booking of two RR Trents (one for an A380 and one for a Dreamliner) to Singapore, and the value of the cargo was higher than the value of the ship. Supposedly one of them was the new engine for Nancy Bird-Walton, but I’ve been unable to verify. Our stevedores had to take out extra insurance as their existing cover was nowhere near enough.
I once secured a booking of two RR Trents (one for an A380 and one for a Dreamliner) to Singapore, and the value of the cargo was higher than the value of the ship. Supposedly one of them was the new engine for Nancy Bird-Walton, but I’ve been unable to verify. Our stevedores had to take out extra insurance as their existing cover was nowhere near enough.
Aug 2, 2019, 11:35 am
#26
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Bombay
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I was asked to provide a quote for moving a giraffe from Fremantle to Melbourne once, but strangely enough they decided against putting it on a ship. A former boss of mine managed to secure a booking of a whole circus on a domestic Indonesian leg once.
Aug 2, 2019, 1:51 pm
#27
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: City of Kingston Upon Hull
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Have we discovered the “Diamond Member “? 😀😀😀
Aug 2, 2019, 2:18 pm
#28
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: UK
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I remember at the time of the LAS fire hearing that BA didn’t want to be the ‘other’ airline that had lost x2 777 hulls.
Make of that what you like....
Make of that what you like....
Last edited by crazy8534; Dec 5, 2020 at 12:41 pm
Aug 2, 2019, 8:03 pm
#29
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jan 2009
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Posts: 22,127
What did they do in the end? Put it on on sideways on a Qantas flight that had a hole on the side because of the oxygen tank that went boom??
