"Flames" force plane to return to Nassau

[Piedmont1984]

That was the front page headlines in The Tribune this morning, Nassau Bahamas .

Flight 792 from NAS to DCA left shortly before noon with 113 pax and 5 crew. Eye witness observed 12 foot flames shooting out the left engine of the Airbus 319. Aircraft returned to NAS without further incident.

This is Piedmont1984......reporting from Nassau.

 

[luvthe9]

No big deal.....probably a compressor stall like the 76 in Amsterdam.

 

[luvthe9]

http://www.airliners.net/photo/US%20Airway...B7/ER/0963368/L 76 in AMS

 

[luvthe9]

I hear you!

However, If you are not seated in one of the two seats all the way up front it is a VERY BIG DEAL

You need to relax , your in good hands.

 

[SegmentKing]

that's just the bahamian reporter sensasualism. You should read other news articles, especially crime reports.

And don't worry about the Airbus. The airplane computer is trained to override any logical commands by an experienced pilot.

 

[PHL]

Would you have told the passengers on the doomed Air France Concorde that the flames coming out from under the wing were "no big deal"???

Any fire on an aircraft (inside or out) is a big deal.

 

[Piedmont1984]

Actually, if the cause was compressor stall, which is a disruption of the normal air flow pattern through the engine, the result of any number of factors such as bird or foreign object ingestion, blade deformation, etc., the results are loud and dramatic but not as dire as an inflight fire. The engine normally creates a flame, but in the case of a compressor stall the flame is often propagated out the back of the exhaust, with sound effects and vibration/jolting thrown in free of charge. The remedy is to operate the engine at reduced thrust or shut it down completely.

Still makes for an exciting ride for all involved.

 

[N965VJ]

<SNIP>I owned a Fiat Spyder that burst into flames doing about 50.

I always thought Lucas was the Prince of Darkness, not flames.

 

[ITRADE]

Here's a good example of it....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ya5WEFpsVc...feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KhZwsYtNDE

 

[midnightmech]

how about looking out your window and seeing this....would you pray?

 

[Piedmont1984]

how about looking out your window and seeing this....would you pray?

I'd pray I didn't forget to check the bottom cowl latches on my preflight inspection.

 

[ussnark]

Would you have told the passengers on the doomed Air France Concorde that the flames coming out from under the wing were "no big deal"???

I am pretty certain, after riding on the Concorde several times, that passengers could not have seen the flames.

I am more impressed at the BA 747 that took off from LAX and lost one on takeoff at dusk. The stuttering blue flame from #1, at least back to the tail, must have been visible to pax and, I imagine, when the decision to continue to London was announced, there were a couple of passengers with hair on fire as well.