V-Flyer

This made me smile!

From last night's NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams.

An American Airlines 767 from Dallas Fort Worth bound for Paris on Wednesday experienced a huge thud shortly after take off. With no warnings on the Flight Deck the flight continued and landed in Paris nine hours later to find an inspection panel under the aircraft missing!

The Airline and the NTSB are asking people to contact them if there's anything unusual of the metal variety in their back yard!!!!!

Quite a large panel as can be seen in the photo.

The newspaper reports that the noise sounded like an 'explosion', however it was reported as simply a 'bang' to the pilot at the time. He consulted with the ground and was advised that there were empty spaces between the cargo containers and they then assumed that the bang was two banging together. There was no loss of cabin pressure so the cargo hold could not be open to the air: no temperature changes so no possibility of internal 'explosion'. They decided that rather than circle, dump fuel, then make a heavy landing, it was safer to just continue the flight.

It is not unusual for passengers (and even cabin crew!) to report strange noises going bump in the flight!

In this case the pilot's decision was proved right - the cover lost was not part of any safety structure - the only loss would be the aircraft would be slightly less aerodynamic.

I would not have liked to be underneath it when it came down however. NTSB probably want the part to check if there was any structural problem with the latch or whether it was just a matter of a 'screwdriver' problem when the air-con unit was serviced pre-flight!

Quite a large panel as can be seen in the photo.

The newspaper reports that the noise sounded like an 'explosion', however it was reported as simply a 'bang' to the pilot at the time. He consulted with the ground and was advised that there were empty spaces between the cargo containers and they then assumed that the bang was two banging together. There was no loss of cabin pressure so the cargo hold could not be open to the air: no temperature changes so no possibility of internal 'explosion'. They decided that rather than circle, dump fuel, then make a heavy landing, it was safer to just continue the flight.

It is not unusual for passengers (and even cabin crew!) to report strange noises going bump in the flight!

In this case the pilot's decision was proved right - the cover lost was not part of any safety structure - the only loss would be the aircraft would be slightly less aerodynamic.

I would not have liked to be underneath it when it came down however. NTSB probably want the part to check if there was any structural problem with the latch or whether it was just a matter of a 'screwdriver' problem when the air-con unit was serviced pre-flight!

No doubt it will turn up, either on ebay or buried in some redneck's pickup.

No doubt it will turn up, either on ebay or buried in some redneck's pickup.

And for once a reasonable TV report.

I wonder what was said to the CC who emailed the press about 'an explosion'...

And for once a reasonable TV report.

I wonder what was said to the CC who emailed the press about 'an explosion'...