Oops....

[Vapour01]

Not to worry, there'll be another one to replace it on the route, or it'll be repaired, soon enough. The important thing is that no-one was seriously hurt.

[Ashar]

Impressive accident! I am assuming it was a brand new aircraft since it says it was going to be delivered?

EDIT: Found a closer picture on Airliners.net http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1293784/L/

It seems the runway may have been icy. I might be wrong but you never know.

It wasn't landing...It was parked on the tarmac and it appears it jumped the chocks... :-/

[C]

Impressive accident! I am assuming it was a brand new aircraft since it says it was going to be delivered?

EDIT: Found a closer picture on Airliners.net http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1293784/L/

It seems the runway may have been icy. I might be wrong but you never know.

The white stuff in the photo looks suspiciously like fire retardant foam to me.

[Wii]

Impressive accident! I am assuming it was a brand new aircraft since it says it was going to be delivered?

EDIT: Found a closer picture on Airliners.net http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1293784/L/

It seems the runway may have been icy. I might be wrong but you never know.

The white stuff in the photo looks suspiciously like fire retardant foam to me.

[smiley=evil.gif] D'oh! Sorry, didn't think of that.

[C]

Oh dear - no chocks, non standard running procedure (apparently), and then not retarding the throttles whilst trying to brake from 30kts until about 20m from the wall... :-?

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/11/21/219795/toulouse-a340-throttles-not-idled-until-2s-before-wall-collision.html

[Hagar]

Sounds like an almighty balls-up. I'll bet heads will roll for this if they haven't already done so.

This is described in that article as "an engine and brake test". It's difficult to understand how it's possible to carry out a brake test with chocked wheels.

[C]

This is described in that article as "an engine and brake test". It's difficult to understand how it's possible to carry out a brake test with chocked wheels.

It's also difficult to understand why they'd want to do both at the same time, and apparently not being prepared for unexpected movement...

[expat]

Here is the Air Bus time Preliminary Time line of Events are released by AIRBUS FLIGHT SAFETY DEPARTMENT TOULOUSE.

Time line

Further to what has already been posted about this, I have a co-worker on my shift who is in email contact with a  friend who works at Airbus Toulouse who shed some more info on the subject. Not only did they have to cut the technicians out of the cockpit, but they had to do it whist all 4 engine remained at idle. As the cockpit had been destroyed, there was no way to shut the engines down and it had to be done manually. I would guess a spanner on either the LP valves or spare valves. Now here is the best part: It is the QA guys who do run ups. Nothing to do all day except tell other how to do it properly, oh and perform run ups.

A side line to this story, it really is not Airbus's week. During an acceptances flight test of an A330, a depressurisation test was performed. All the masks "down the back" where taped up to prevent deployment (personal experience can tell you how long it takes to repack, scroll back a few pages and my "personal experience is there to read ). So at altitude, the test was performed. The only problem, the cockpit forgot to tell the 5 guys in the cabin that the test was about to take place. All needed medical attention. I was just wondering though if it was the A340 crew who where in the cabin...............Airbus payback maybe

Matt

[C]

Here is the Air Bus time Preliminary Time line of Events are released by AIRBUS FLIGHT SAFETY DEPARTMENT TOULOUSE.

Time line

Further to what has already been posted about this, I have a co-worker on my shift who is in email contact with a  friend who works at Airbus Toulouse who shed some more info on the subject. Not only did they have to cut the technicians out of the cockpit, but they had to do it whist all 4 engine remained at idle. As the cockpit had been destroyed, there was no way to shut the engines down and it had to be done manually. I would guess a spanner on either the LP valves or spare valves. Now here is the best part: It is the QA guys who do run ups. Nothing to do all day except tell other how to do it properly, oh and perform run ups.

One of the drawbacks to FBW. Thankfully for the rescuers the engines were nicely behind the wall - however for the bloke who had to turn them off I would not have fancied going anywhere near them as with the wall they'd have been sucking a fair amount more air from behind...

A side line to this story, it really is not Airbus's week. During an acceptances flight test of an A330, a depressurisation test was performed. All the masks "down the back" where taped up to prevent deployment (personal experience can tell you how long it takes to repack, scroll back a few pages and my "personal experience is there to read ). So at altitude, the test was performed. The only problem, the cockpit forgot to tell the 5 guys in the cabin that the test was about to take place. All needed medical attention. I was just wondering though if it was the A340 crew who where in the cabin...............Airbus payback maybe

Matt

Not clever at all. Could easily have ended up as fatal. Someone will be getting a whipping for that.

[Xyn_Air]

With all of this here I have been reading, it is amazing that humans were the primates smart enough to start flying in the first place!



~Darrin

[expat]

Further update. As I said the engines where sat at idle when the guys where cut out of the cockpit. As for shutting down then engines, well that was done by standing back and looking on..........until it ran out of fuel.

Matt

[C]

Further update. As I said the engines where sat at idle when the guys where cut out of the cockpit. As for shutting down then engines, well that was done by standing back and looking on..........until it ran out of fuel.

Matt

Thought it probably would be due to them being pretty much up against a wall...

[expat]

Further update. As I said the engines where sat at idle when the guys where cut out of the cockpit. As for shutting down then engines, well that was done by standing back and looking on..........until it ran out of fuel.

Matt

Thought it probably would be due to them being pretty much up against a wall...

Not just up against the wall Charlie, but I think up sh#t creak too

Matt

[OVERLORD_CHRIS]

[QUOTE]  While the parking brake is set, the A340

[C]

-when the plane stops turn the motors off.

NB. This is optional if one manages to seperate the cockpit from the rest of the aeroplane. In such cases, pick someone to volunteer. Or get one's man to do it with an adjustable spanner...