HAIL DAMAGE DFW

[chris perry]

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THE DRYLINEWEST OF INTERSTATE 35 LATE THIS AFTERNOON...THEN SPREAD EASTACROSS THE REMAINDER OF NORTH TEXAS TONIGHT. THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY CONTAIN VERY LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND POSSIBLY STRONG TORNADOES. ADDITIONALLY...BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
1216 PM CDT TUE MAY 24 2011

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS SITUATION IN NORTH AND NORTHEAST TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. IT'S ON.

- - Chief Meteorologist Brad Barton

 

[chris perry]

There was no surprise here its just a shame so many aircraft were damaged...

 

[Frank Szabo]

There was no surprise here its just a shame so many aircraft were damaged...

Evidently, the big boys decided it was cheaper to leave the aircraft out to be damaged than it was to fly them to safety. That's why they're paid the big bucks - to make decisions like that.

Would intentionally allowing damage to aircraft come under authority of USC TITLE 18, PART I, CHAPTER 2, § 32?

 

[OldBubba]

DFW warned, TCA right next to us warned and went to basement.
DWH no warning on storm yesterday! Not a phone call, no flashing WARNING LIGHT, no nothing. Gee who drop the ball!
Thanks to the AMT's from KC that we know at DFW that cared!!!!!!!! There was more than one.

 

[WorldTraveler]

how many aircraft were damanaged?

I see that AA has cancelled about 20 % of the flights on its system today. Yikes!

 

[TWU informer]

Last report I heard was 80+ aircraft out of service and 50+ of those due to hail damge.

19+ heroic AMT's going on Field Trip from Tulsa to show the company that stalling in negotiations is fine as long as they get overtime pay.

 

[FWAAA]

Evidently, the big boys decided it was cheaper to leave the aircraft out to be damaged than it was to fly them to safety. That's why they're paid the big bucks - to make decisions like that.

You guys are the low-cost provider of maintenance services, so it may well be cheaper to pay mechanics some OT and buy some parts to fix hail-damaged planes than to buy fuel at $3/gal, pay expensive pilots, landing fees and overnight parking fees to fly them somewhere else.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-25/american-cancels-flights-after-hailstorm.html?cmpid=yhoo

 

[WorldTraveler]

Last report I heard was 80+ aircraft out of service and 50+ of those due to hail damge.

19+ heroic AMT's going on Field Trip from Tulsa to show the company that stalling in negotiations is fine as long as they get overtime pay.

yes, it is in situations like this you all prove your professionalism... and of course you should get fully paid for your services regardless of whether there are contract negotations going on or not.

You guys are the low-cost provider of maintenance services, so it may well be cheaper to pay mechanics some OT and buy some parts to fix hail-damaged planes than to buy fuel at $3/gal, pay expensive pilots, landing fees and overnight parking fees to fly them somewhere else.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-25/american-cancels-flights-after-hailstorm.html?cmpid=yhoo

first of all, you obviously aren't to be taken seriously by asserting that AA's mechanics are the low cost provider. This is however a good example of how having your own full service maintenance capabilities allows AA to recover from this.... but it would also be incorrect to assume that AA is the only carrier that could do this. Not all carriers have full service capabilities but many do even if they choose to contract out some maintenance.
secondly, you surely can't be believed if you think that AA or any carrier intentionally left aircraft in a position to be damaged. Even if the impact of the storm was fully known in advance, you can't exactly get pilots into every aircraft and get the planes out of there (even if you can find clear air and another airport to fly the aircraft too - AA doesn't have mid-air refueling capabilities, IIRC) before the storms hit.
If sarcasm is your intent, a few emoticons might help....
.

DFW has not been a terribly kind airport for airport ops this years... hoping that AA and its people can quickly overcome something that neither one of them could have done much to avoid.

 

[chris perry]

The sad part is most of the hangers were empty poor planning....

 

[FWAAA]

The sad part is most of the hangers were empty poor planning....

Most hangers were empty? So nobody even hung up their clothes on the hangers?

Oh, I see - the airplane hangars were empty and could have accomodated a few airplanes.

I agree; poor management planning to not fill up the hangars with airplanes. Which of the dozens of planes would you have moved into hangars if you had been in charge? There isn't room for 80 planes inside DFW's hangars, is there?

I'll bet that management is more concerned about the possibility of hangars collapsing on top of valuable airplanes in a severe storm/tornado than they are about fixing some hail damage. Maybe that's why most hangars were empty? Could be that the best place for a plane is at the gate.

 

[eolesen]

I doubt wind damage to the structures was a concern, but parking airplanes inside is simply impractical...

AA's only got room on the west side for about 10-15 aircraft if I recall, maybe more if they were to use the widebody hangar for narrowbodies and ignore the fire suppression limits a bit, but that's about it.

DWH probably adds another 4-6 positions, but who knows if they would have been empty given I think they're supposed to be doing either overhaul or mod lines.

Fact is that hail happens. Be grateful for the overtime, and even more grateful that the Dutch Ovens are gone. They didn't fare very well in the monster storm that hit the airport about twelve years ago....

 

[nbmcg01]

I doubt wind damage to the structures was a concern, but parking airplanes inside is simply impractical...

AA's only got room on the west side for about 10-15 aircraft if I recall, maybe more if they were to use the widebody hangar for narrowbodies and ignore the fire suppression limits a bit, but that's about it.

DWH probably adds another 4-6 positions, but who knows if they would have been empty given I think they're supposed to be doing either overhaul or mod lines.

Fact is that hail happens. Be grateful for the overtime, and even more grateful that the Dutch Ovens are gone. They didn't fare very well in the monster storm that hit the airport about twelve years ago....

We had crazy hail in STL. My daughter lives in Dog Town and had hail as big as her hand. I have NEVER seen hail that big.

 

[strikeforce]

I'm not sure how much lead time you'll had from the storm, but I wouldn't send crews out in violent weather to bring planes inside. Several years ago, we had a microburst at ORD that blew the sheet metal off the side of the widebody hangar. There was debris everywhere, but all AMT's were accounted for and SAFE!!!

 

[Buck]

Rumor: The crews from TULE were proffered the work until it was done. However upon arrival at DFW were told it would be straight time?

 

[PhatSappy]

Best thing about this event is that the DFW mechanics get "Rocking Chair" payments for every hour a TUL field trip works there.

Arpey, get your head out of your backside and settle our contrAAct!