DFW runway incursion last weekend

[FWAAA]

Oops.

The agency is investigating an incident last weekend at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in which a tug pulled a Boeing 777 across a runway as another jet, an MD-80 was landing, F.A.A. officials said.

The tug tried to stop but the momentum of the airplane pushed it into the runway.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/10/business...amp;oref=slogin

Those 777s are very heavy.

 

[AMFAMAN]

Oops.



http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/10/business...amp;oref=slogin

Those 777s are very heavy.

Yeah their was a goldhofer incident....

 

[TIME FOR CHANGE]

Yeah their was a goldhofer incident....

Here in MIA we call it the Goldschläger

 

[TWU-GOTTA-GO]

Another new York Times article about the incident...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/25/business...ml?ref=business

Safety investigators, meanwhile, are looking at an event at Dallas-Fort Worth just before noon on April 6. A mechanic towing an empty Boeing 777 from an American Airlines maintenance hangar on the west side of the airport back to a gate to the east was told to hold short of Runway 18 right. The tug operator acknowledged the instruction, according to an official of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the union, but was moving so fast that the tower controller radioed a second time. When the tug operator came back on the radio, he told the tower controller, “I’m trying,â€￾ according to the union official, Ric Loewen.

The tug operator swerved to avoid towing the plane to the middle of the runway, and the tug’s rear wheels jumped off the ground, the F.A.A. said.

Safety officials say they are looking into the possibility of brake failure, or of the tug operator’s simply misjudging the momentum of the plane behind him.

The problem, though, was that another American Airlines plane, an MD-80, had touched down about 3,000 feet up Runway 12. In clear conditions, the pilot saw the tug and the big plane behind it approaching from the left, and pointed his plane toward the right edge of the runway. He missed the tug by about 25 feet, according to initial reports

 

[WingNaPrayer]

I smell a tug operator on the unemployment line.

 

[TWU-GOTTA-GO]

I smell a tug operator on the unemployment line.

No, I smell a tractor whose brakes failed to stop an aircraft.

 

[Boomer]

I may be wrong: but, I'm told that the tug in question does not have an A&P Mechanic required for the cockpit left seat.

During the initial inbrief over introduction of the tug into service: several TWU Officers asked about the absence of challenge and response between a left seat and the tug.

The question was raised about RF info heard by two but misinterpreted; the response from the KERP/SERP babies was that there was no data to support runway incursions without a A&P mechanic in the left seat during towing operations.

If the operation in question actually occured with an A&P mechanic in the left seat; the answer is why the mechanic did not apply brakes to assist the tug in compliance with tower instructions.

If the operation in question actually occured without an A&P mechanic in the left seat: the answer is why AMR bought into a reduction in single point failure potentially endangering hundreds of lives and billions of dollars.

Were they far too busy calculating their bonuses?

 

[TWU-GOTTA-GO]

I may be wrong: but, I'm told that the tug in question does not have an A&P Mechanic required for the cockpit left seat.

During the initial inbrief over introduction of the tug into service: several TWU Officers asked about the absence of challenge and response between a left seat and the tug.

The question was raised about RF info heard by two but misinterpreted; the response from the KERP/SERP babies was that there was no data to support runway incursions without a A&P mechanic in the left seat during towing operations.

If the operation in question actually occured with an A&P mechanic in the left seat; the answer is why the mechanic did not apply brakes to assist the tug in compliance with tower instructions.

If the operation in question actually occured without an A&P mechanic in the left seat: the answer is why AMR bought into a reduction in single point failure potentially endangering hundreds of lives and billions of dollars.

Were they far too busy calculating their bonuses?

Mechanics are in both seats of the tractor, although only one has control of the tractor and the other the radios. The tractor that AA purchased was the smaller model which can barely pull a 777 per the specs. There is another much larger tractor that the rest of the airlines use for the 777 and larger aircrafts, but I guess the extra money wasn't worth it. <_<

 

[SkydrolJunkie]

I smell a tug operator on the unemployment line.

Nope, it is impossible to get fired from this company!!

 

[TWU-GOTTA-GO]

Nope, it is impossible to get fired from this company!!

Sure it is, just don't pay your union dues and the union will fight to the bitter end to see that you're gone. :blink:

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

Even if the brakes FAILED on the Tug to STOP the trip7,... in an FAA Adequate amount of time,...and the poor Bastard winds up getting fired,..................the A$$ Holes in "USELESS TX." will sheepishly say,...."Hey, they can do that Brother" :down: :down:

 

[SkydrolJunkie]

Sure it is, just don't pay your union dues and the union will fight to the bitter end to see that you're gone. :blink:

Oh, that's right. I forgot about payments to the "Dues collection agency".

 

[AMFAMAN]

Even if the brakes FAILED on the Tug to STOP the trip7,... in an FAA Adequate amount of time,...and the poor Bastard winds up getting fired,..................the A$$ Holes in "USELESS TX." will sheepishly say,...."Hey, they can do that Brother" :down: :down:

Actually a termination is not in play here, what is in play is a revocation of their DFW airport badge, not AA badge. Do to some letter signed by manAAgement and DFW Airport last year, we've allowed DFW airport to decide whether or not to allow these two mechanics back at the airport. The letter calls for a revocation of your DFW AOA badge with any runway incursion that the Goldhofer is involved in, regardless of the circumstances. A decision is suppose to be coming next week as to whether or not they will get their badges back, if not it looks like they will need to find a new station. :down:

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

Actually a termination is not in play here, what is in play is a revocation of their DFW airport badge, not AA badge. Do to some letter signed by manAAgement and DFW Airport last year, we've allowed DFW airport to decide whether or not to allow these two mechanics back at the airport. The letter calls for a revocation of your DFW AOA badge with any runway incursion that the Goldhofer is involved in, regardless of the circumstances. A decision is suppose to be coming next week as to whether or not they will get their badges back, if not it looks like they will need to find a new station. :down:

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AMFAMAN,

How much time do these 'brothers' have ?

I can think of a LOT of worse things than getting booted out of DF+W !

Beside, If they get 'tossed', they can go to JFK.(The Pizza, and I-talian food, is the best there)

 

[title1 for life]

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AMFAMAN,

How much time do these 'brothers' have ?

I can think of a LOT of worse things than getting booted out of DF+W !

Beside, If they get 'tossed', they can go to JFK.(The Pizza, and I-talian food, is the best there)

The driver has 22 years the radio operator has 20 years.