Quote:
Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile
If I'm not mistaken, Kalitta Air is who Normy used to fly for prior to his current FedEx gig - should be interesting to hear his thoughts on this one. . .
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Correct-O...
Tonight, my cellphone basically hates me. Just about everyone I know, aviation and non-aviation, has called me today to ask me about this incident. Part of it is the fact that I worked for that company for 3 1/2 years, and part of it is that I lived in Brussels for a few years. I'll tell you all just what I have told them: I don't know what happened. I have a few ideas....but I'm going to keep them to myself since the investigation is still ongoing, my ruminations will do nobody any good, and others have and will come to the same conclusion that I have anyway.
I know the Captain of that flight. I consider him VERY skilled and knowledgeable. In my opinion, if it happened to him, it can happen to nearly any pilot. But the main thing that I am happy about, and this is pretty much a miracle: Nobody was hurt.
The fact that the fuel tanks didn't rupture is amazing! In my opinion, the airplane broke apart as it tried to stop- it didn't break apart first and then slide to a stop, the impacts with whatever objects exist at the end of runway 20. What's more, that runway, which is 9800 feet long and 164 feet wide, is certainly adequate for most takeoff weights of the B747-200. I've flown that exact airplane- N704CK, and I have taken off from runway 20 in BRU in 727's and 747's multiple times, so there is no issue with performance. Something else happened.
Well, the only way to prevent any aircraft accidents from occuring is to stop flying airplanes. And since that's not a good idea...I guess all we can do is to do our best to fly safely, and expect a few incidents to occur. Remember, aviation [just like a fast car] isn't inherently dangerous; it is just VERY unforgiving of any carelessness or neglect.
Hmm! You know what sucks? That airplane was my favorite among Connie's fleet. It was equipped with Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7R engines; our other planes had -7Q motors, which were quite a bit weaker. That thing would take a full load and climb like nothing was there! I once ferried it from Nashville to Dover, Delaware, and we had about a 25 degree deck angle all the way to 41,000 feet. You've got to love a big airplane with even BIGGER engines! Something that is true at airlines is that we get to know our airplanes. At the majors, that isn't generally possible since they usually have several hundred. Kalitta had 15 airplanes when I was there, and 25 now, and I knew each of them. Just like Porsche's.....each one has a personality.
N!
PS: Pictures are of the airplane that was destroyed in Brussels, taken in Nashville.
Sad trivia point: This is the airplane that was used as "Air Force One" in the movie of the same name.
