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Brave Delta Pilots Save Lives: flies straight into Hurricane Irm

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Brave Delta Pilots Save Lives: flies straight into Hurricane Irm

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Old Sep 9, 2017, 5:17 pm
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Brave Delta Pilots Save Lives: flies straight into Hurricane Irm

Some very brave pilots from Delta; flight records show plane landing in Puerto Rico as storm hit and departing with 170 people on board 40 minutes later!!

As Hurricane Irma threatened to make landfall in Puerto Rico, most pilots were avoiding the area. Understandably so, perhaps.

Cuba lashed by category five winds as storm heads to US – as it happened
At least 23 people confirmed dead across Caribbean, with Hurricane Jose also heading for Barbuda at almost category five intensity
Read more
One Delta Airlines plane, however, headed straight toward the storm. The pilot landed on the island as it was engulfed and got away again within an hour, taking more than 170 people out of the path of the most powerful Atlantic hurricane ever recorded.

Despite the extreme weather closing in, the airline described conditions as “well below operating limits” for the aircraft when it arrived. Flight records examined by the Guardian show it arriving in San Juan on Puerto Rico’s north coast, and leaving again about 40 minutes later.

“Our meteorology team is the best in the business,” said Delta’s Erik Snell. “They took a hard look at the weather data and the track of the storm and worked with the flight crew and dispatcher to agree it was safe to operate the flight. And our flight and ground crews were incredible in their effort to turn the aircraft quickly and safely so the flight could depart well before the hurricane threat.”

To read the full article: https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...es-puerto-rico
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Old Sep 9, 2017, 5:19 pm
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Originally Posted by wolf72
Some very brave pilots from Delta; flight records show plane landing in Puerto Rico as storm hit and departing with 170 people on board 40 minutes later!!

As Hurricane Irma threatened to make landfall in Puerto Rico, most pilots were avoiding the area. Understandably so, perhaps.

Cuba lashed by category five winds as storm heads to US – as it happened
At least 23 people confirmed dead across Caribbean, with Hurricane Jose also heading for Barbuda at almost category five intensity
Read more
One Delta Airlines plane, however, headed straight toward the storm. The pilot landed on the island as it was engulfed and got away again within an hour, taking more than 170 people out of the path of the most powerful Atlantic hurricane ever recorded.

Despite the extreme weather closing in, the airline described conditions as “well below operating limits” for the aircraft when it arrived. Flight records examined by the Guardian show it arriving in San Juan on Puerto Rico’s north coast, and leaving again about 40 minutes later.

“Our meteorology team is the best in the business,” said Delta’s Erik Snell. “They took a hard look at the weather data and the track of the storm and worked with the flight crew and dispatcher to agree it was safe to operate the flight. And our flight and ground crews were incredible in their effort to turn the aircraft quickly and safely so the flight could depart well before the hurricane threat.”

To read the full article: https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...es-puerto-rico

IIRC, the DL 431/ DL 302 adventure has been posted in 3 other threads.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...-sept-6-a.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...yesterday.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...-thread-7.html
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Old Sep 9, 2017, 5:21 pm
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Originally Posted by 24left
IIRC, the DL 431/ DL 302 adventure has been posted in 3 other threads.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...yesterday.html
Sorry. Did a search and did not locate any other threads about this brave action.
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Old Sep 9, 2017, 5:25 pm
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Originally Posted by wolf72
Sorry. Did a search and did not locate any other threads about this brave action.
Thanks for sharing. It's all good. It was awesome to watch on FR24 and Twitter etc.
Fly_Delta_Jets and wolf72 like this.
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Old Sep 9, 2017, 5:36 pm
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A little dramatic. If it wasn't safe they wouldn't have gone. Delta isn't going to roll the dice with a 30 million dollar aircraft.
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Old Sep 9, 2017, 6:15 pm
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Originally Posted by readywhenyouare
A little dramatic. If it wasn't safe they wouldn't have gone. Delta isn't going to roll the dice with a 30 million dollar aircraft.
Nor with passenger safety.
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Old Sep 9, 2017, 7:27 pm
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Originally Posted by readywhenyouare
A little dramatic. If it wasn't safe they wouldn't have gone. Delta isn't going to roll the dice with a 30 million dollar aircraft.
But with careful and dedicated planning, they did it whilst other's turned back. They saved lives and did it with precise calculations, bravery and experience.
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Old Sep 9, 2017, 8:53 pm
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yeah, it was really precise, high quality flying IMO. The pics of the plane flying through the clear areas of Irma weather bands were awesome.
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Old Sep 9, 2017, 9:01 pm
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Originally Posted by wolf72
But with careful and dedicated planning, they did it whilst other's turned back. They saved lives and did it with precise calculations, bravery and experience.
How many people died at the SJU airport?

I can find no reports of any deaths at the airport, making the whole "saved lives" part of your post a bit overblown.
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Old Sep 9, 2017, 9:16 pm
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Hindsight is 20/20 Jaimito, easy to question the bravery now, but what about making the decision to fly the way that pilot did
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Old Sep 9, 2017, 9:33 pm
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Originally Posted by wolf72
But with careful and dedicated planning, they did it whilst other's turned back. They saved lives and did it with precise calculations, bravery and experience.
JetBlue sent rescue flights as well. Please don't say others turned their backs. It isn't true at all.
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Old Sep 9, 2017, 9:34 pm
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Originally Posted by pharmawalk
Hindsight is 20/20 Jaimito, easy to question the bravery now, but what about making the decision to fly the way that pilot did
There are two pilots and both have the power to turn the plane around. This isn't 1950.
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Old Sep 9, 2017, 9:41 pm
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Originally Posted by readywhenyouare
There are two pilots and both have the power to turn the plane around. This isn't 1950.
Oh sorry (sarcasm), THOSE pilots showed bravery.

Edit: please don't stick up for other 'evangelists' by making inconsequential posts.
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Old Sep 9, 2017, 10:28 pm
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Under real dangerous conditions it would be downright irresponsible to land/take off instead of just keeping ppl safe on the ground and waiting out the hurricane.
This evacuation ahead of the storm is probably safer than many routine landings in nasty weather pilots perform daily.

That being said it is nice that DL (and others like B6 or UA out of IAH a couple weeks back) proactively got near stranded folks out.
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Old Sep 9, 2017, 11:20 pm
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pilots being bros

i am sure the 170 people in the plane appreciate it better than any of us here ever could as we were not there.

pilots being bros.
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