Flying Through A Thunderstorm - Oops

[forcebwithu]

Investigation Launched After Airbus A320 is Badly Damaged When it Flew Through Storm in South America

Terrifying footage has emerged from onboard an Airbus A320 aircraft operated by the South American airline LATAM as it flew a severe electrical storm which severely damaged the aircraft’s radome and shattered the cockpit windows.

LATAM flight LA1325 departed Santiago de Chile at around 4 pm on Wednesday afternoon bound for Asuncion but was forced to divert to Foz do Iguaçu International Airport in Brazil due to stormy conditions in the area.

Chile’s General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics says it has launched an investigation into the incident after the 10-year-old aircraft landed without one of its two engines working.

The flight was operated by LATAM Airlines Paraguay and in a statement, the airline said that all passengers and crew were unharmed after the aircraft made an emergency landing.

A spokesperson for the airline said it “regrets the inconvenience that this weather situation may have caused passengers”.

[Derek Dangleberries]

Oh My Buddha !!!

When I saw the state of that nose cone I immediately thought of The Herald of Free Enterprise. How it avoided an aeronautical equivalent is probably down to design Engineering. I'm just pleased that there was no loss of life similar to The Herald!

[Jambo]

This actually brought to mind my first ever flight to Thailand which in those days was to Don Mueang which turned out to be one of the worst landings I ever had.

We landed in the early hours of the morning when it was still dark. It was one of those spectacular summer thunderstorms you get in Thailand which are very violent with heavy rain but normally don't last very long.

The aircraft was bouncing all over the place. I have no fear of flying but on that occasion I just shut my eyes and waited for the wheels to come down and then for the aircraft to hopefully land safely which it of course it did albeit one of the very, very hard ones. Big round of applause from the passengers.

We had to wait at the stand for some time before disembarking. I had a window seat and I remember them starting to load the cases onto one of those trolleys in the absolute pouring rain. I remember it because when I checked into my room at the Holiday Inn Crown Plaza and opened my case about the third of my clothes in it were soaking wet. I ended up hanging them all round the room. 😄

I tried to get some sleep but I was so excited about being in Thailand I gave up  and did a morning visit to Soi Cowboy just so I would know where it was when I returned in the evening. 🤣

[coxyhog]

Every piece of an aircraft is bonded together.The lightning usually strikes the nose as I think it's attracted to the radar dish.

You usually get damage to the trailing edges of the tail where it exits.Unusual to get engine damage like that.

I take it the investigation is into why the aircraft flew through the storm & not over or around it.

[coxyhog]

I was on an Omani Air Force BAC 1-11 going into Corfu for a refuel when we got struck on finals.We had a cargo of fireworks which we'd picked up in Cologne but all was OK as we had an Omani fireman on board....wtf he was supposed to do I don't know except burn with the rest of us.

[Derek Dangleberries]

8 minutes ago, coxyhog said:

I was on an Omani Air Force BAC 1-11 going into Corfu for a refuel when we got struck on finals.We had a cargo of fireworks which we'd picked up in Cologne but all was OK as we had an Omani fireman on board....wtf he was supposed to do I don't know except burn with the rest of us.

You can see the cargo in the head on shot at the end of the video. Imagine if they were full of fireworks!!!

[ChiFlyer]

This brings back many memories (all of them bad).

I flew constantly for my job over 25 years, a fair amount of that internationally.

• I started out going frequently between KC and Chicago. That is over the Midwest prairie states in the area of the US known as tornado alley. Had some very bumpy rides.
• I was going from Laredo, TX to Dallas one time. We hit a thermal downdraft and the plane suddenly dropped about 100 feet. Heat thermals are thrilling to say the least.
• Prior to starting this work effort some buddies and I did a fly-in fishing trip into Ontario. There were forest fires that dry season. When they flew us out the pilot had to drop something for the fire fighters. More heat thermals. My buddies were pissed at me for laughing so hard, which got the pilot into showoff mode. I guess I have always had a bit of a death wish (just coming close you know).
• My flights with Indian pilots in Asia were a thrill a minute. Talk about cowboys and that is during Monsoon season.
• One of my favorites though was a midnight takeoff from MIA going to Rio. The pilot had to abort the takeoff 3 times because he kept getting a warning light just before getting air borne. He had to slam on the brakes each time and all the stuff from the kitchens came crashing out into the aisles. That must have been some garrota he was trying to get to see. What really pissed me off was that some admin lady for the rescheuled flight the next morning decided to delay the flight 2 hours, so that breakfast rather than dinner could be served. I had garrotas to see as well. 

 

[fygjam]