Reporting Incidents Alert Others and Can Save Lives

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Grassroots Information Coordination Center (GICC) : One Thread

The following article reports a stabilizer problem similar to the tragic Alaskan Airlines failure. In this case, however, the pilot noted the problem and returned to the airport within 20 minutes of departure.

MD-80 Returns to Phoenix Airport After Reporting Problem 12:29 p.m. ET (1729 GMT) February 2, 2000 Two days after a possible stabilizer failure sent an Alaska Airlines jet crashing into the Pacific Ocean, an American Airlines MD-80 made an emergency landing in Phoenix, also after reporting a possible stabilizer problem. Airport spokeswoman Suzanne Luber said the pilot reported the problem about 20 minutes after taking off for Dallas.

The plane turned around and landed safely at Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix. There were no injuries, and passengers were boarding another plane to Dallas.

The American jet is part of the same series of McDonnell-Douglas planes as the Alaska Airlines plane that went down off the coast of California Monday.

The Alaska Airlines MD-83 reportedly had problems with its horizontal stabilizer, which controls the pitch of the aircraft's nose.

***********

I bring this story to GICC NOT because it is a Y2K incident - I don't know if it is, isn't, might be, or might not.

I bring this story to GICC because I believe that easily accessible information about problems can help prevent bad consequences of similar problems recurring. I am sure all of us posting on GICC hope that our posts will somehow contribute to the prevention of unnecessary problems and their consequences - and I thank you for that.

For those who are hesitant to reveal a problem, or to identify Y2K as a possible source of the problem, please imagine if your loved ones were on this Phoenix flight. Please consider the gratitude you would have for the alert pilot, and for the possibility that his/her awareness a similar problem on another airlines contributed to his taking immediate precautions.

And please consider posting whatever incidents you are aware of which may recur elsewhere, if people aren't alert to the early warning signals. Please encourage others to do so, as well.

We encourage specifics and details, and are willing to accept anonymous postings.

Thank you.

Collaboratively,

Jan Nickerson GICC analyst

-- Jan Nickerson (JaNickrson@aol.com), February 03, 2000

Answers

Hear, hear!

-- Antoine Neron (metis@2000now.org), February 03, 2000.

I agree. It is so much better to be safe than sorry. That is what Y2K preparation was all about. Taking the safe option can set one up for some ribbing if nothing is found to be wrong - but think of all the times when someone said, "Something is wrong." And that person was ignored and people died.

Let's keep on listening when someone cries, "Wolf." There really are wolves out there.

-- Sally Strackbein (sally@y2kkitchen.com), February 03, 2000.


Moderation questions? read the FAQ