747 crash Brussels

[landofsmiles]

Ouch!

YouTube - Kalitta Air Boeing 747 Crash in Brussels Airport, Belgium

Kalitta Air 747-200F crashed over the weekend as it attempted to take off from Brussels en route to Bahrain, coming to a stop beyond the end of the runway and splitting into at least two pieces. Although reports vary, it does not appear that the aircraft ever was fully airborne. Its fuselage split in the middle and it likely will be written off. All five crew escaped and four were hospitalized with what were described by local officials as minor injuries. The pilots reported hearing loud noises while attempting to take off but the cause of the crash is undetermined as yet.

Local officials said a much larger catastrophe was narrowly averted as the 747-200F came to a stop just 10 m. short of a rail line and only hundreds of meters from a residential neighborhood. Flight Safety Foundation's Aviation Safety Network said the freighter was carrying 76 tonnes of cargo. Kalitta is an all-747F operator based in Michigan. It operates 18 aircraft, according to its website.

[landofsmiles]

It was getting on a bit...nearly 28 YEARS old. First owner was China Airlines Cargo. Kalitta bought it in 2003.

Aircraft (FAA)
Manufacturer: Boeing
Model: 747-209F
Year built: 1980
Serial Number (C/N): 22299
Number of Engines: 4
Engine Type: Turbofan
Engine Manufacturer and Model: P & W JT9D SERIES

Owner (FAA)
Registration Type: Corporation
Owner: Kalitta Air Llc
Address: Ypsilanti, MI 48198-0899
United States
Region: Great Lakes

Status (FAA)
Certification Class: Standard
Certification Issued: 2003-09-10
Air Worthiness Test: 2003-09-11
Last Action Taken: 2006-11-21
Current Status: Valid

[Soupdragon]

Looks like someone forgot to strap the cargo down and 76 tonnes finished up in the tail section.

[The Loop]

It must have been full of fuel at the time.

Very lucky there wasn`t a fire,with damage like that.

[luv u long time]

Mate!!!!!! could have been much worse.... That helped my fear of flying heaps... Cant wait to fly in 6 week......

[landofsmiles]

Don't you think their TRAINS are looking in Belgium!

[luv u long time]

Originally Posted by landofsmiles

Don't you think their TRAINS are looking in Belgium!

Do they go from Melbourne to Patong???? looking for other ways to travel

[Capt. Fantastic]

Amazing that there was no fire. As an erstwhile refueller I would like to hear what the cats who DE-fueled that aircraft have to say. Nerve-wracking.

Google "C5 C-5 crash Delaware" to see photos of, well, the C-5 crash in Delaware. In that case the aircraft stalled about five feet above the ground, slammed down, and broke into several huge pieces. But again no fire.

One can also locate pictures of the C-5 recovery effort. How to move that much aluminum so as to clear the runway. Not trivial. Should give some hints as to how this 747 site will be cleaned up.

Big airplanes cause big problems when something breaks. Thankfully these were not passenger jets.

[Captain]

Firebrigade is defuelling the plane (as I am sure with the help of a specialised company). By the way, it never left the ground. Crew heard some "bangs" during speeding up for lift of.
When defuelled discharging will start under supervision of experts. All cargo will be weighted. Since the accident US security/Embassy people were on the spot as quite a part of the cargo is diplomatic post.

[Capt. Fantastic]

If I had to guess the fire crews are standing by with all their equipment "locked and loaded." The fuelling company is certainly handling the actual transfer. Note that de-fuelling in and of itself is nothing special. Just flip a switch on the tanker truck. Happens often enough when too much fuel was transfered to a plane.

But... when working under a collapsed and likely unstable wing, in the dirt (or mud), things get dicey. I never fuelled a 747-200-- it is an ancient model used only for freight-- but the more modern 747s have two fuelling stations, one under each wing. One non-trivial point is, how far off the ground are the stations? Ladders, lift trucks, &c., are designed for certain heights. With these wings so close to the ground that indicates a lot of muscle will be needed. Plus the hoses are not very long since they are designed to reach from a truck parked under the wing, to a nearby station.

Rule #1 for a refueller: The hose always wins. Check out the cats fuelling your next flight... bulging muscles are a job requirement.

Presumably all the "hot parts" were allowed to cool afore starting fuel work. But hot parts on a gas turbine are very @#$%ing hot. Takes a long time for them to get touchable, as it were.

[MrDK]

CF
Do get yourself a more up-lifting avatar ....... !

[luv u long time]

Originally Posted by MrDK

CF
Do get yourself a more up-lifting avatar ....... !

[Capt. Fantastic]

Guess I missed the joke. What is the big deal with my avatar?

Thought this thread was about, oh, I don't know, a commercial aircraft which crashed? Never have found much humor in that topic.

[landofsmiles]

I guess he's referring to her looking miserable.