The Odd Story of Air New Zealand 203
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 5:16 pmAir New Zealand 203 was a charter flight from Christchurch (NZCH) to Auckland (NZAA) with a scheduled of departure time of 6:05 AM July 15 2013 and an arrival time of 7:05. The aircraft involved was ZK-NGE, a Boeing 737-300. The aircraft departed on time from runway 2 at Christchurch and traveled north at 0.81 mach and 30,000 feet. Passengers on the right side of the aircraft were able to see a beautiful sunrise as the aircraft cruised over South Taranaki Bight.
The aircraft approached runway 5R at Auckland from 22.5 miles away. The aircraft was slightly high on approach, and its final approach speed was 135kts. As the pilot's skills were rusty from several weeks without flying, he failed to react properly to a sudden gust of wind while over the threshold. As a result, the aircraft landed hard on the right main landing gear. After noticing that the aircraft was sliding right, the pilot initiated a go-around. When he retracted his landing gear, he found that the right main gear would not retract.
He then elected to extend the rest of the landing gear. When he did this, Auckland Tower observed and reported that the aircraft's nose gear was turned left at a 45 degree angle.
The pilot dumped fuel over Manukau Harbor and was guided by Air Traffic control to use the ILS for 5R. The aircraft followed a regular approach and landed 563 feet past the threshold. Upon landing, the right landing gear began to collapse. The captain struggled to keep the aircraft straight and flared, but in the end the aircraft got the best of him. The plane's right engine dug into the concrete, and the aircraft yawed right, coming to a stop only after the pilot engaged reverse thrust to keep the aircraft from falling into the sea. After the aircraft reached a complete stop, the crew shut down all systems and evacuated the crew. Of the 113 passengers and crew onboard, twenty sustained injuries, five of them serious. No deaths were caused. The aircraft, approaching retirement, was scrapped.
My thanks go out to Erez Werber of FSX AI Bureau for his FSX-compatible model and Alejandro Rojas Lucena for his upgraded 737NG cockpit.
Comments, advice, and constructive criticism are all welcome.
The aircraft approached runway 5R at Auckland from 22.5 miles away. The aircraft was slightly high on approach, and its final approach speed was 135kts. As the pilot's skills were rusty from several weeks without flying, he failed to react properly to a sudden gust of wind while over the threshold. As a result, the aircraft landed hard on the right main landing gear. After noticing that the aircraft was sliding right, the pilot initiated a go-around. When he retracted his landing gear, he found that the right main gear would not retract.
He then elected to extend the rest of the landing gear. When he did this, Auckland Tower observed and reported that the aircraft's nose gear was turned left at a 45 degree angle.
The pilot dumped fuel over Manukau Harbor and was guided by Air Traffic control to use the ILS for 5R. The aircraft followed a regular approach and landed 563 feet past the threshold. Upon landing, the right landing gear began to collapse. The captain struggled to keep the aircraft straight and flared, but in the end the aircraft got the best of him. The plane's right engine dug into the concrete, and the aircraft yawed right, coming to a stop only after the pilot engaged reverse thrust to keep the aircraft from falling into the sea. After the aircraft reached a complete stop, the crew shut down all systems and evacuated the crew. Of the 113 passengers and crew onboard, twenty sustained injuries, five of them serious. No deaths were caused. The aircraft, approaching retirement, was scrapped.
My thanks go out to Erez Werber of FSX AI Bureau for his FSX-compatible model and Alejandro Rojas Lucena for his upgraded 737NG cockpit.
Comments, advice, and constructive criticism are all welcome.
Crisp shots! Very Nice!!! 