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Yet Another MD-80 Makes An Emergency Landing

6:10 am PST, 12 February 2000

Yet another MD-80 airliner has been forced to make an emergency landing, this time after experiencing problems with its hydraulic systems.

The plane, operated by TWA, touched down safely at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Friday evening after the problem was encountered.

None of the 149 people aboard were injured and the emergency landing was considered a precautionary measure.

This is just the latest in what appears to be a growing number of emergency incidents experienced with the MD-80 family of passenger jets and comes just two weeks after Alaska Airlines flight 261 crashed into the waters of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California with the loss of all 88 aboard.

There has been nothing to suggest that the problems experienced by the TWA flight are related to the jackscrew problems that have been detected in as many as 6 other MD-80 aircraft and which has been implicated in the crash of flight 261.

-- Zdude (zdude777@hotmail.com), February 12, 2000

Answers

Of course, this is all coincidence, and could have nothing to do with y2k errors in the chips. Right Mikey?

-- Devils advocate (@ .), February 12, 2000.

At 6:45PM EST the NBC Nightly news is reporting an additional eleven planes being inspected have been found to have signs of excessive jackscrew wear.

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.ney), February 12, 2000.

This is good news. It's good the plane landed safely with no loss of life; it's good that the problem(s) will now get further expert engineering attention; it's good that the entire fleet of MD-80's may come under scrutiny and every reasoanble safety precaution be taken. It's good news that .... IT MAY BE Y2K after all!

>"<

-- Squirrel Hunter (nuts@upina.cellrelaytower), February 12, 2000.

All of a sudden in the past 2 or 3 months this many MD80's and others have developed excessive jackscrew wear, hard to believe, mighty hard!!

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), February 12, 2000.

Hydraulic system governing what?

-- Squirrel Hunter (nuts@upina.cellrelaytower), February 12, 2000.

You're absolutely right, Devil's advocate. Not due to Y2k errors in the chips. Everyone, read the last paragraph of the article again.

And I'm afraid that Squirrel Hunter might really be happy in his misbelief that AS261 crashed due to a Y2k bug.

No Ray, it's not the jackscrew, it's the nut. Look at this other thread for more information.

-- Mikey2k (mikey2k@he.wont.eat.it), February 12, 2000.

Well .... I CAN believe in rapid post-Y2K nut-wear, since I think we all have developed it in as littel as 6 weeks.

>"<

-- Squirrel Hunter (nuts@upina.cellrelaytower), February 12, 2000.

Mikey2k commented:

"No Ray, it's not the jackscrew, it's the nut. Look at this other thread for more information. "

Yes indeed Mikey2k, with all of the preventative maintenance pulled on these aircraft, they all of a sudden discover a NUT problem on a bunch of them.

You probably also believe in the TOOTH FAIRY!!

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), February 12, 2000.

Ray, you raise a valid question about why preventive maintenance didn't catch this. Perhaps an aircraft maintenance worker on the MD- 80's can comment on how often the stablizer is checked and to what level.

On the other thread have added links to a couple of additional articles which describe the damage to the aircraft other than AS261, which suggest that AS261's embedded nut was damaged more than the others.

Good one about the tooth fairy. I'll have to remember that for use on those determined to believe that a Y2k bug caused the crash of AS261.

-- Mikey2k (mikey2k@he.wont.eat.it), February 12, 2000.