Plane on fire at Toronto Airport

[nystate]

This is weird too. Posted today, of all days:

http://www.airdisaster.com/forums/archi ... 70883.html

Won't load for me, what's it about?

Weird coincidence -- dude posting about French FAA and A340 incident.

It looks to me from the date in the upper right hand corner of the post that it was posted in February...I haven't been able to get the thread to load up again so I don't know if anyone posted on it today, however.

The people at airdisaster.com know what they are talking about. There are NTSB investigators, pilots, and aircraft mechanics on the forum who all shed light on the incidents. The forum's NTSB posts by the forum name Al something (can't remember the last name). Anyways, he hasn't posted yet, but it will be interesting to see what he has to say.

[gtalum]

There is some speculation that this plane has suffered from something that has affected other Airbus planes in the past. They have very sophisticated computers, and are more automated than Boeings. Sometimes the computer thinks the plane hasn't actually touched down yet after it actually has, and the computer won't allow thrust reversers to be deployed. This would be merely an annoyance on a dry runway, with an early or normal touchdown, but deadly in a situation like this where the plane touched down late on the runway and the runway was wet.

[nystate]

Also, remember American flight 1420 that crashed in Little Rock? Ran off the runway and burst into flames during a storm, however only 8 or 9 pax and the captain were killed. The rest survived, most with minor injuries.

[JTD]

Toronto police via CNN reporting that the pilot survived. If the pilot survived....most everyone else probably did.

[gtalum]

Teh word from WISH TV in Indianapolis is that all passengers and crew survived, with only a relative few minor injuries. Let's hope that's correct.

[Brent]

The fact that it caught fire after it had stopped sounds pretty well(I won't say good until we get something confirmed from someone). A lot of these big fatal incidents on the ground is planes catching fire/breaking apart before anyone has a chance to get out.

[Brent]

Also, remember American flight 1420 that crashed in Little Rock? Ran off the runway and burst into flames during a storm, however only 8 or 9 pax and the captain were killed. The rest survived, most with minor injuries.

Wasn't that a microburst too? I've heard about it... but it's been years.

[gtalum]

Theoretically it should only take 90 seconds to evacuate any fully loaded aircraft. Allowing for real world, everyone was probably out in 3 minutes. Hopefully the fire held that long before engulfing the aircraft.

[Brent]

Theoretically it should only take 90 seconds to evacuate any fully loaded aircraft. Allowing for real world, everyone was probably out in 3 minutes. Hopefully the fire held that long before engulfing the aircraft.

Yeah... there's a bunch of exits on an A340. The slides were apparently deployed so that helps.

[ohiostorm]

Not good. Really makes me re think my flying plans for September. Is there any news of survivors?

[gtalum]

Not good. Really makes me re think my flying plans for September. Is there any news of survivors?

Just remember that when you fly, the most dangerous part of the day by far is driving to the airport.

[Brent]

Not good. Really makes me re think my flying plans for September. Is there any news of survivors?

There are a couple of reports that everyone survived... there are certainly a large number that survived.

Oh and flying is still the safest way to travel.

Can you remember the last time there was a passenger jet crash in the U.S. or Canada??? It's been several years.

[JTD]

CBC interviewing a passenger from the plane.

"Landing appeared to be OK. Pilot not able to apply sufficient braking power. All of a sudden everything went up in the air. Real roller coaster going on. In very black of the plane.

"Doesn't know one way or the other about other passengers. Really all I did was run like crazy. You don't exactly look around when you're panicking.

"Tend to think that things ended up OK. Lots of people running from the plane with me."

"Plane totally full."

"Saw lightning. maybe plane had already been hit by lightning. Just as we landed, the lights turned off.

"Got out of the plane on the chute."

"Captain said stay in your seat."

[GalvestonDuck]

Not good. Really makes me re think my flying plans for September. Is there any news of survivors?

There are a couple of reports that everyone survived... there are certainly a large number that survived.

Oh and flying is still the safest way to travel.

Can you remember the last time there was a passenger jet crash in the U.S. or Canada??? It's been several years.

587...and that's not an invitation to debate it again. *ahem*

[nystate]

Also, remember American flight 1420 that crashed in Little Rock? Ran off the runway and burst into flames during a storm, however only 8 or 9 pax and the captain were killed. The rest survived, most with minor injuries.

Wasn't that a microburst too? I've heard about it... but it's been years.

Don't know it it was a microburst...my understanding is that is was just a plain old severe thunderstorm. Crew forgot to extend the spoilers on landing to slow the plane down, so it overran the runway and hit a fence, which is what killed the captain.

[GalvestonDuck]

A340 seating (they can change that to 10 in fleet)

[ohiostorm]

I cant remember any except for the one in New York right after 9/11. But im not jinxing myself. And I know that the drive to the airport is the most dangerous thing, but its very scary when ur life is in someone elses hands and you have no control.

[Brent]

Not good. Really makes me re think my flying plans for September. Is there any news of survivors?

There are a couple of reports that everyone survived... there are certainly a large number that survived.

Oh and flying is still the safest way to travel.

Can you remember the last time there was a passenger jet crash in the U.S. or Canada??? It's been several years.

587...and that's not an invitation to debate it again. *ahem*

Yeah... I remember that one well. I was so sure it was terrorism.

[nystate]

Not good. Really makes me re think my flying plans for September. Is there any news of survivors?

There are a couple of reports that everyone survived... there are certainly a large number that survived.

Oh and flying is still the safest way to travel.

Can you remember the last time there was a passenger jet crash in the U.S. or Canada??? It's been several years.

587...and that's not an invitation to debate it again. *ahem*

Regardless of the cause, that was nearly four years ago. In the 70s and 80s you were looking at several fatal airliner crashes a year in the US alone. We truly have come a long way in making sure that flying continues to be the safest mode of transportation, safer even than walking down the stairs!!

[Brent]

Not good. Really makes me re think my flying plans for September. Is there any news of survivors?

There are a couple of reports that everyone survived... there are certainly a large number that survived.

Oh and flying is still the safest way to travel.

Can you remember the last time there was a passenger jet crash in the U.S. or Canada??? It's been several years.

587...and that's not an invitation to debate it again. *ahem*

Regardless of the cause, that was nearly four years ago. In the 70s and 80s you were looking at several fatal airliner crashes a year in the US alone. We truly have come a long way in making sure that flying continues to be the safest mode of transportation, safer even than walking down the stairs!!

2004 was the safest year of air travel ever...