Coward is a Hero
posted by The Sailor @ 4:53 PM Permalink
This is a bit different from our standard fare but when I read about it I just felt compelled to share. It's also nice to have a break from all the government crimes and politics (is that redundant?) we normally cover.Here is an absolutely amazing feat of skill and professionalism:
Inquiry Finds Power Failure in London Jumbo Jet CrashNow aside from the fact that the headline is probably wrong, (I read the initial report and it seems to say that the engines didn't respond with more power, not that they failed completely, and the plane didn't crash, it had a forced landing, (Forced landing is defined as the inability to continue flight due to the consequences of damage, uncontrolled fire or thrust loss where imminent landing is obvious but aircraft controllability is not necessarily lost.)
Both engines on the British Airways jumbo jet that crash-landed just short of a runway at London’s Heathrow Airport on Thursday failed to respond to a demand for more power during the final few moments of the flight, British investigators said Friday.
[...]
Part of the main landing gear was torn off and another part was jammed up into the wing; the airplane plowed on its belly across open grass before slowing to a halt when it hit the tarmac. The 136 passengers and 16 crew members exited through emergency slides.
Several passengers told British news organizations that they had been unaware of the emergency until it was over. “It was a very quiet, normal flight. I didn’t have the feeling we had crashed until we left the plane,” said Jerome Ensinck, a passenger. “When you look at the plane you realize it could have been way, way worse,” he said in a television interview.
Obviously this dedicated crew did everything right. On final approach, at 600 feet and 2 miles from the airport, (about 45 seconds from a normal landing), with co-pilot John Coward at the controls, they reacted immediately to the emergency and brought the plane in safely. The only serious injury was a broken leg, and while I can't find the cause in subsequent reports I'm willing to bet that it was during evacuation.
Here's part of the Captain's statement:
Captain Paul Burkill explained that it was actually First Officer Coward "who was the handling pilot on the final approach, and did the most remarkable job."Video and full statement here.
"As Captain of the aircraft I am proud to say that every member of my team played their part expertly yesterday, displaying the highest standards of skill and professionalism," Burkill said. "Flying is about teamwork, and we had an outstanding team on board yesterday."
Burkill also singled out cabin service director Sharron Eaton-Mercer: "It was typical of her selflessness that she took time to check that we on the flight deck were all right before going down the chute herself."
Having had 2 engine outs in an experimental aircraft where I was the pilot and only SOB, (Soul On Board ... or sunnavabitch, because I did the building and the maintenance;-), I can tell you it's somewhat disconcerting to not have the throttle respond and realize there is no way you're going to make it to an airport. And that was in a plane that landed at less than 60 mph while flying over fairly flat land and green fields. I can't imagine doing it at 170 mph with 151 passengers ... over London.
Kudos to the crew. Big, BIG, kudos to the crew!
Labels: aviation, aviation safety, heroes
1 Comments:
Once in the Philippines on a midnight shift I went down to the end of the flight line farthest from civilization where we had to post a troop every night to keep from having the landing lights stolen. It was lonely duty (and pitch black until they lit up the lights for incoming aircraft) so I always made it a point to go out there and visit with whomever was posted there. I had located my man, called him over, and invited him to sit for awhile. We were out the farthest from the runway when the lights came on, so I turned the truck around to give us a better view of what could only be an incoming C-5A, it was so hugh.
Well, the plane kept coming and coming and it wasn't until it demolished the first two lights that we realized it had overshot the runway and was heading straight for us. I got us the hell out of the way! It finally stopped about 100 feet away from us. We were scared spitless, but called it in and did our police thang, securing the area, helping the crew out, etc.
Two years later I wound up guarding another C-5A at Kirtland AFB, NM. I was telling the load master all about how I'd been there at Clark AB when one of these big bastids had overshot the runway. The major who was piloting the aircraft heard me telling the tale, cracked up, came over and shook my hand and asked me, "So that was you in that truck, huh? This is the plane and I was the pilot. I never did get a chance to say thanks or apologize for scaring the sh*t out of you!"
What a gentleman!
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