Aer Lingus Incident LHR 16th Jan

Mr. Sheen

AvHerald Article

Two interesting points here I think:

1. How hard is "hard" and was this genuinely serious? Anyone have any more info.?
2. The dismal load factor. 47 would include the 6 crew I imagine? No reflection on Aer Lingus I know but if indicative of general load factor surely may affect renewal, or extent of renewal, of ACMI agreement with Virgin.

sparrowcar

Very strange that it is being investigated.

Speculation:

Did the crew continue after a wind shear warning maybe?

Incorrect loadsheet weights?

Or just a heavy landing at nothing more.

billy few mates

Can't have been that big a deal if the aircraft departed three and a half hours later. Most Airbus aircraft give an automatic print out giving the max G loading when they have a hard or heavy landing and further information can be downloaded from a QAR or DFDR. The aircraft maintenance manual give three levels of inspection to be carried out following such an event, each one more detailed than the last but you only have to do the level 2 if you find something on the level 1 inspection. My guess is there was no damage found on the level 1 so the A/C was probably released after this brief delay. Some operators might carry out the fuller inspections on return to base as a matter of course or on the basis of the recorder readout. Those Airbus A/C are remarkably solid and can withstand quite heavy landings.

beer enigma

Cant be more specific but heard that there was an injury 'claim' from a passenger as a result of heavy landing & that's the reason for the follow up.

Strumms

Very strange... I know little as regards the A320 but I think I may be correct in assuming that like other and older airframes out there that the crew can pull or get sent automatically a report via acars advising if a 'hard landing' has taken place and related info to the incident such as G forces etc ?

Hardly a huge deal if the aircraft departed 3 hours later but I guess all incidents have to be investigated so that everyone involved can learn.

IngazZagni

In reality this is seems like a pretty minor incident, Just the pilot might want to keep the door closed as the pax get off!

There are many more incidents such as fuel maydays that have happened in recent times that don't get reported on avherald or anywhere else.

basill

If it really was a proper hard landing then the aircraft would be in the hangar and not departing after a relatively quick engineering inspection.

billy few mates

I've seen many reported hard/heavy landings reported on Airbus A/C over the years and in every case I've seen where the crew reported that they 'thought' they'd had a hard landing analysis of the data actually showed that they hadn't exceeded the limits and so no maintenance action was required and in the cases where the data showed they had suffered a hard landing, there was absolutely no damage to the A/C.
It's also worth pointing out that in cease where the data shows that the A/C has not had a heavy landing then the AMM states that no maintenance action is required but some operators have a policy that the maintenance actions are still carried out, regardless of the fact that there is no requirement for them to be done once the crew suspect that a hard landing had occurred.
This particular incident could well have been a 'non event'.