As the first two lines read>>>
""These are pictures of the wreck of a brand new A340-600, in November 2007,
that had never flown.
Brand spanking new right out of the hanger, without a single hour of air time. Enter the Arab flight crew.""
...that doesn't make the rest of the explanation plausible because here is a picture of it
flying in September>>>
Three Hospitalized in Bizarre Incident Involving New A340
In the second serious incident involving the type in six days, a new Airbus A340-600 due to be delivered to Etihad Airways on Nov.21 was severely damaged, perhaps beyond economic repair, when it jumped its chocks and ran over a blast fence during ground run-ups of its engines on Nov. 15. Three of the nine people onboard remained hospitalized the following day. Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways already has two A340-600s in service and has ordered eight in all.
In the second serious incident involving the type in six days, a new Airbus A340-600 due to be delivered to Etihad Airways on Nov.21 was severely damaged, perhaps beyond economic repair, when it jumped its chocks and ran over a blast fence during ground run-ups of its engines on Nov. 15. Three of the nine people onboard remained hospitalized the following day. Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways already has two A340-600s in service and has ordered eight in all. Credit: Etihad Airways In the second serious incident involving Airbus A340-600s in six days, three people remain in hospital after a brand-new Airbus A340-600 due to be delivered to Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways next week was severely damaged in a bizarre ground-testing accident.
The incident, which took place at the Airbus manufacturing complex at Toulouse yesterday, occurred when the aircraft's engines were being run up to full power during ground tests in preparation for formal delivery of the aircraft to Etihad Airways on Nov. 21.
During the engine run-up test, the aircraft's landing gear jumped over the chocks wedged against its tires to hold the A340-600 in place -- along with its brakes -- against the propulsive force developed by its four Rolls-Royce Trent 500 engines. At maximum takeoff power, the A340-600's four engines develop a total 224,000 pounds of thrust.
The A340-600 ran over a blast fence, causing severe damage to the aircraft and injuring five of the nine people onboard the aircraft at the time, according to an aviation insurance broker's initial report on the incident.
Two of those injured had been released from hospital by the morning of Nov. 16, Airbus said in a statement. The French air accident investigation authority, Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses, has begun investigating the incident and the French judiciary reportedly also has begun an investigation, supported by the police.
None of the people onboard the aircraft were Etihad Airways employees, but at least one -- who was injured and remained hospitalized on Nov. 16 -- was an employee of Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies, a service provider to the airline. The two other people who are still in hospital are Airbus employees, the manufacturer said.
Aircraft was still owned by Airbus
Although the A340-600 already had been painted in Etihad Airways' colors, Airbus was still the owner of the aircraft and it was insured on the policy of giant aerospace manufacturer EADS, which owns Airbus. The A340 bore a French test registration at the time of the incident. The agreed value of the aircraft for delivery to Etihad Airways was $148 million but EADS' policy has a maximum hull insurance value of $300 million, according to an insurance broker's report.
Fabrice Bergier, Airbus' chief operating officer, was quoted by The Associated Press as saying the aircraft was damaged so badly in the incident that it was "irrecoverable." This implies that EADS' insurers -- led by French company La Reunion -- may have to regard the A340-600 as a total loss and pay out its full insured hull value.
The aircraft was one of two new A340-600s due to be delivered to Etihad Airways before the end of the year. The Abu Dhabi airline already has two A340-600s in service -- as well as four ultra-long-range A340-500s -- and ordered a total of eight A340-600s. The airline also operates a fleet of twin-engine A330-200 widebody jets and five Boeing 777-300ER long-haul widebodies, and recently has begun operating A320 narrowbody jets on shorter routes.
In addition, Etihad Airways is a customer for the A380 and the recently launched freighter version of the A330-200F. When all the Airbus aircraft it has ordered are delivered, the Abu Dhabi airline will have 44 of the manufacturer's aircraft in its fleet.
Etihad Airways operates its A340-600s on long-haul services from Abu Dhabi to destinations such as Toronto and Sydney. It occasionally operates the type on its nonstop Abu Dhabi-New York flights, but usually flies the route with A340-500s. Shorter than the A340-600 but also powered by four Rolls-Royce Trent 500s, the A340-500 carries fewer passengers than its bigger sister but can fly even longer distances.
The airline was planning to use the Nov. 21-delivery A340-600 initially as a back-up aircraft to replace other A340s as they were taken out of service for scheduled maintenance. As a result, the immediate impact of the loss of the new A340 on Etihad Airways' service plans isn't likely to be significant.
Iberia landing incident at Quito
Prefacing yesterday's accident at Toulouse, an Iberia A340-600 with 335 passengers and 14 crewmembers onboard burst several tires on landing at Quito in Ecuador on Nov. 9.
There were no reports of injuries, but the A340's landing gear was damaged and at least two of its four engines became partially detached. Initial insurance estimates have put the damage to the aircraft as high as $80 million. Its hull was insured for $155 million.