Emergency at the Airport

[Schultzie]

Here's a good site for plane crash info (odds). I don't know if it includes commercial flights, though.

http://www.planecrashinfo.com/cause.htm

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

Air travel is -- by far -- the safest form of transportion when measured in fatalities per person-kilometer.

If a plane crashes and 100 people die, the media makes a circus about it for weeks. On that same day, how many people do you think were killed in auto accidents?

I read somewhere that the safest form of transportation was the elevator.

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

I read somewhere that the safest form of transportation was the elevator.

I bet those moving walkways are even safer!!

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by Dan02

I bet those moving walkways are even safer!!

I don't know, there is a possibility of getting injuried when you first get on and it speeds up or when you get off and it speeds down.

[SteveToms]

My suspicsion, if this was not turbulence, which I doubt it was, it was probably a uncommanded rudder movement, which at the altitude, would cause a massive yaw shift, as well as a drop in altitude.

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by SteveToms

My suspicsion, if this was not turbulence, which I doubt it was, it was probably a uncommanded rudder movement, which at the altitude, would cause a massive yaw shift, as well as a drop in altitude.

Don't you think it's a little premature to start speculating especially with a complete lack of evidence?

Last time there was severe turbulence and passengers thought they dropped thousands of feet they only dropped 20 meters in actuality.

Not to suggest that was what this was but there are tons of possibilities each one as likely as they others with the information we have been given.

[icarus]

I flew Calgary-Vancouver on Tuesday and there was a little bit of turbulence over the Rockies but not too bad. Glad I didn't fly a couple days later.

Originally Posted by arsenal

Now I just have to find something to do for 10 hours.. hopefully there is a hot german girl sitting next to me..

Pfft, 10 hours... that's nothing. I just flew 15h15m Vancouver-Sydney. That's a long flight. Thankfully Air Canada had a wide selection of movies to choose from and I had a cute girl from Halifax across the aisle to talk to. Hope you get that hottie German! One time I sat next to a hot Czech girl from London to Vancouver and it was the best overseas flight ever. She didn't speak much English but we spoke the language of love...

[Winsor_Pilates]

Scary situation. flying into Calgary from the West here often generates a fair bit of turbulance. Something to do with the winds coming from the Rockies IIRC.

The media coverage of this really bugs me. Every station or paper seems so eager to report "life threatening and serious" injuries before there's any confirmation of it.

[STeeLy]

Originally Posted by arsenal

I am not liking this. I have to fly to Germany next week, and I am am ok flier when it is nice and smooth. But even with a little bit of turbulence, I start to get a little sketchy.
Not to mention the whole 10 hour flight thing, that is not going to be fun.

It is an air canada flight as well.. but I think it is actually a Lufthansa plane that I am on. God I hate AC...

I don't know if you're going to be flying anywhere close to Iceland. On my flight back from London into Calgary last February, the flight attendant told me that, it is very likely you will get turbulence for an hour or so stretch over Iceland. Though, when we were actually flying over iceland, it was fairly smooth.

[MelBridgeman]

I flew on a westjet flight that made an emergency landing due to autopilot failure and we didnt drop or yaw or anything

[T@T]

I must be a rare breed, i actually get a kick out turbulence and the look on peoples faces when encountered.
Thing of note, Turbulence cannot damage a large plane and heavy enough turbulence to knock an aircraft down 1000ft or so is allways above 5000ft (mostly above 20,000)

As stated, wear your belt and there's nothing to worry about.

[STeeLy]

Originally Posted by MelBridgeman

I flew on a westjet flight that made an emergency landing due to autopilot failure and we didnt drop or yaw or anything

An Autopilot Failure shouldn't really jerk the aircraft.

Originally Posted by T@T

I must be a rare breed, i actually get a kick out turbulence and the look on peoples faces when encountered.
Thing of note, Turbulence cannot damage a large plane and heavy enough turbulence to knock an aircraft down 1000ft or so is allways above 5000ft (mostly above 20,000)

As stated, wear your belt and there's nothing to worry about.

Actually, one time, when I was flying from HK to Vancouver... we encountered turbulence, it lasted for a good 5 - 10 minutes. I was sitting directly across the Aisle from an old lady and sitting behind the old lady was this woman probably in her 20s... and when the turbulence hit, that old lady just kept on sitting there, looking so relaxed (she was still alive by the end of the flight), and the woman behind her is like screaming her head of and clutching onto the arm rests really hard... my family and I actually had a pretty good laugh about that at the time.

As for me... Turbulence is jsut another part of flying, I could still stand and take a leak if I was in the bathroom when the light and unexpected turbulence hit... other wise, I just look normal.

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by STeeLy

An Autopilot Failure shouldn't really jerk the aircraft.


Actually, one time, when I was flying from HK to Vancouver... we encountered turbulence, it lasted for a good 5 - 10 minutes. I was sitting directly across the Aisle from an old lady and sitting behind the old lady was this woman probably in her 20s... and when the turbulence hit, that old lady just kept on sitting there, looking so relaxed (she was still alive by the end of the flight), and the woman behind her is like screaming her head of and clutching onto the arm rests really hard... my family and I actually had a pretty good laugh about that at the time.

As for me... Turbulence is jsut another part of flying, I could still stand and take a leak if I was in the bathroom when the light and unexpected turbulence hit... other wise, I just look normal.

I am not a big fan of turbulance. I don't get super freaked out but my anxiety level increases a few levels. The problem with flying for me is that I have no control and if something does happen, well you are f***ed.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by STeeLy

An Autopilot Failure shouldn't really jerk the aircraft.

I suspect this wasn't a case of normal AP failure, useally when the AP fails it's just stops coordinating it's input path, i think this was a full blown short and it kicked the tail feathers hard.

Could have been worst, if the ailerons got "kicked" the plane would have been upside down before the pilot had a chance to shut it off. That actually happened on a L10-11 cargo a few years back.

[STeeLy]

Originally Posted by T@T

I suspect this wasn't a case of normal AP failure, useally when the AP fails it's just stops coordinating it's input path, i think this was a full blown short and it kicked the tail feathers hard.

Could have been worst, if the ailerons got "kicked" the plane would have been upside down before the pilot had a chance to shut it off. That actually happened on a L10-11 cargo a few years back.

That makes more sense ya... and luckily, it wasn't the ailerons... imagine how freaked out the passengers would be flying upside down.. I'd be pretty freaked too.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by ken0042

And Fotze is right- always wear your seatbelt when flying. It doesn't need to be tight, but if the plane suddenly drops 100 feet you don't want to be getting thrown towards the ceiling.

Even though Fotze is kidding because of an earlier thread?

Or just paranoid cause this is more rare than a car accident?

Agreed, where you seatbelt when in your seat, but me thinks Fotzies having some fun.

Apologies if your aren't.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by icarus

I flew Calgary-Vancouver on Tuesday and there was a little bit of turbulence over the Rockies but not too bad. Glad I didn't fly a couple days later.
Pfft, 10 hours... that's nothing. I just flew 15h15m Vancouver-Sydney. That's a long flight. Thankfully Air Canada had a wide selection of movies to choose from and I had a cute girl from Halifax across the aisle to talk to. Hope you get that hottie German! One time I sat next to a hot Czech girl from London to Vancouver and it was the best overseas flight ever. She didn't speak much English but we spoke the language of love...

Nice man, I have done that flight four times and have only sat beside crying babies, talkative grandmothers, fat men, and empty seats...

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by kermitology

What keeps you standing on the floor of the plane? Gravity right?

If the plane suddenly has a downward acceleration greater than that of gravity your acceleration is still that of gravity and you go up relative to the plane right?

At least that's how I'd think of it.

Yeah, I was just curious what happens in the air that causes the plane to accelerate downwards faster than gravity... I was hoping for a flight guru to chime and and explain it a bit.

[Schultzie]

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

I am not a big fan of turbulance. I don't get super freaked out but my anxiety level increases a few levels. The problem with flighing for me is that I have no control and if something does happen, well you are f***ed.

Haha, pretty much. If something does go wrong, you're basically at the mercy of the plane.

By the way...why can't you delete posts anymore?!?

[arsenal]

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

I am not a big fan of turbulance. I don't get super freaked out but my anxiety level increases a few levels. The problem with flighing for me is that I have no control and if something does happen, well you are f***ed.

That's exactly why I don't like flying. That and the whole falling out of the sky thing. I mean if something happens on a bus, usually if it isn't too bad, you can get out and walk around. On a plane.. no where to go.