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On 1/4/2003 4:06:27 PM Trip Confirmed wrote:
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On 1/3/2003 8:40:09 AM ITRADE wrote:
Beyond stupid. Im surprised that the engine wasn't ruined.
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A serious question here?
A man possibly destroyed his career to save how many innocent passengers who might have died flying in an aircraft that possibly wouldn't have landed, but crashed instead.
This man is to be honored. It is also a fact that this story has hit the newswires bigtime, and millions of flying Americans will read it.
I think a man of integrity like that won't have any problem getting a new career, since it's likely the airline will try to fire him.
Many years ago I had a mechanic of 20 years tell me he walked off his job one night and just quit.
His exact words were that he was putting Band-Aids on aircraft that had no business being in the air, and he couldn't sleep at night anymore.
I was looking for some kudos from employees.Aren't many employees on those planes, also?
And you make a statement saying that he was stupid, and your only worry is the ENGINE??
Please explain your attitude to me. I will admit, it is TOTALLY beyond my comprehension.
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The aircraft in question had been involved in a lightning strike event - a fairly common occurance actually - and had been reportedly been inspected in accordance with the air carrier and manufacturers procedures, as required by the FAA regulations, prior to being returned to service.
A severe lightning strike can result in structural damage or damage to the aircraft electrical and electronic systems. However, the vast majority of lightning strike events are relatively minor in nature and the aircraft are designed in such a way to minimize any damage.
Most lightning strike inspection procedures involve a detailed visual inspection of the aircraft structure and operational tests of the aircraft systems. These procedures had reportedly been accomplished, and signed for, by qualified technicians. These technicians are legally, financially and, most importantly, morally liable for ensuring that the aircraft is safe. They signify so by signing for the work they accomplished.
With over 20 years experience and several hundred lightning strike inspections accomplished I can tell you, with some certainty, that an inoperative light on the wing is NOT a reliable indication of whether or not an aircraft has been damaged by lightning. Lights burn out all the time, and lighting systems are designed with a level of redundancy so that having an inoperative light will not create an unairwothy or unsafe aircraft. Indeed, most aircraft have a Minimum Equipment List or MEL procedure which allows an inoperative exterior light to be deferred and repaired within a certain amount of time.
However, I can also state with some certainty that throwing a hard rubber wheel chock into an engine operating at several thousand RPM WILL create an unairworthy and unsafe aircraft. The chances are great that it would shear off fan blades, possibly sending them into the fuselage and therefore into the passengers you are trying to "save". It is fortunate for everyone involved that in this case that did not happen, that the pilot noticed the event and shut down the engine. What if it had gone unnoticed and several fan blades had entered the cabin, killing or maiming several passengers? What if the fragments had ruptured the wing fuel tanks and caused a fire killing all aboard? Would we still be expected to "honor" the person who did this?
The FAA has a 1-800 number that you can call, tell them the airport, aircraft registration number, the carrier and flight number and your concerns regarding the safety of the aircraft and they will stop the flight from leaving. I have even seen them call back an aircraft that was already airborne if the level of concern was high enough. If you felt strongly enough you could even lay down on the ramp in front of the aircraft to prevent it from taxiing away.
What you do not do is take actions which endanger the very people you intend to save. I, for one, will not honor anyone who does so, regardless of their intent.