C4 - The Plane Crash

[D_G]

I thought that was a great programme, really good insight to the build up and the crash itself. No real surprise at the result based on how the plane went in but all round interesting stuff. Not that the missus would watch it....
Hopefully it will provide some data to make planes safer in future.

[anonymous-user]

Here's a much more real one:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5213018608...


fancy picking which seat to sit in now??

[onyx39]

Max_Torque said:

Here's a much more real one:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5213018608...


fancy picking which seat to sit in now??

Watching a few programmes on that (maybe a tv movie too) incredible piloting skills!

[Zad]

onyx39 said:

I was right

AND I survived (uninjured?)

:P


Interesting to compare this with the undercarriage intrusion on the 777 crash at Heathrow. I'm surprised the window didn't take any damage at all!

[onyx39]

Zad said:

:P


Interesting to compare this with the undercarriage intrusion on the 777 crash at Heathrow. I'm surprised the window didn't take any damage at all!

Incredible to think that many of the passengers on the BA flight did not even realise they had crashed!

[miniman]

The remote control setup seemed extraordinarily crude - surely they would have had cameras giving a pilots eye view along with some telemetry? And frankly the lack of a chase plane that could keep up made this look more like a drama than a documentary.

[Urban Sports]

As crashes go that one was pretty camp.

[Otispunkmeyer]

Just wondering actually.... the chase plane isn't quite fast enough. What if, once the pilots had bailed, the speed of the 727 crept up a little? then flew slightly out of the poor range of the radio controllers? What was their contingency for that? Lol an aircraft full of dummies flying in a straight line over america... would of been interesting!

[WeirdNeville]

Max_Torque said:

SO, if you're on a plane, which happens to have a pretty gentle crash (max 12g) in a very controlled fashion, onto a smooth, soft un-obstructed wide open expanse of desert, and you touch nose down, at a fairly slow speed (~135kts), then you might be better sitting in the back.


WOW, revelatory......... not.

I think it was pretty impressive how well the airframe with stood basically being ground to a halt on rough desert from 135kts. And the idea that it was an in control forced ditching, with the pilot doing what they could to preserve life on board, no?
So, with a lower rate of descent, full flaps, controlled ditching, everyone should be home in time for tea and medals.

[Otispunkmeyer]

onyx39 said:

Otispunkmeyer said:

Watching on +1 but I chose first class, right at the front, seat 4 something that is at the front, bulk head seat on the right hand side. Guess I am fooked eh?

Its not looking good mate

Oh dear.... I got ronny'd there!


Wonder if it had been an engine under wing aircraft would there have been a fire?

[Eric Mc]

Why did they chose a deliberately high rate of decent with the undercarriage still down?

[Justin Cyder]

Eric Mc said:

Why did they chose a deliberately high rate of decent with the undercarriage still down?

Beacuase, as stated over & again in the show, it was a replication of a common accident.

[Eric Mc]

Is it a common accident?

[Eric Mc]

LotusOmega375D said:

I got the 707 mixed up with the sister 720B (which was silly of me because I flew in a Monarch 720B), but the findings were similar to 1984: sit near the back! Who cares about getting off first from row 1!

To be precise, it was a 720, not a 720B.

The 720B was fitted with Pratt and Whitney JT3D turbofans. The 720 was fitted with JT3C turbojets.

Many 720s were modified to 720B standard during their service lives.

[Justin Cyder]

Eric Mc said:

Is it a common accident?

Well, if you can point me toward accidents where the plane has crashed into a cloud, then we can talk.

[onyx39]

Eric Mc said:

Is it a common accident?

Only happened once on that aircraft

[Eric Mc]

Justin Cyder said:

Eric Mc said:

Is it a common accident?

Well, if you can point me toward accidents where the plane has crashed into a cloud, then we can talk.

All aircraft crashes end up with a ground impact. That is the definition of a plane crash.

I was specifically referring to the precise conditions as set up for this programme -

airliner on a landing approach with a deliberately excessive rate of decent.

I can think of very few accidents - even accidents that happened during the landing phase - that were caused by an exceessive rate of decent AND with the undercarriage lowered at the same time.

[onyx39]

Eric Mc said:

Justin Cyder said:

Eric Mc said:

Is it a common accident?

Well, if you can point me toward accidents where the plane has crashed into a cloud, then we can talk.

All aircraft crashes end up with a ground impact. That is the definition of a plane crash.

I was specifically referring to the precise conditions as set up for this programme -

airliner on a landing approach with a deliberately excessive rate of decent.

I can think of very few accidents - even accidents that happened during the landing phase - that were caused by an exceessive rate of decent AND with the undercarriage lowered at the same time.

I don't think the actual type of accident was important.
I suspect that they were trying to crash a plane and ensure that their equipment was able to get some reading and also survive.

[tank slapper]

miniman said:

The remote control setup seemed extraordinarily crude - surely they would have had cameras giving a pilots eye view along with some telemetry? And frankly the lack of a chase plane that could keep up made this look more like a drama than a documentary.

The guy who flew operated the remote controls answered a few questions about it here. There are a few interesting answers among the normal Reddit dross. He said that the reason for using a simple remote control system came down to budget and limitations due to certification.

[Zad]

Otispunkmeyer said:

Wonder if it had been an engine under wing aircraft would there have been a fire?

In theory they should detach on contact and be left behind as the rest of the plane continues on. In reality though, they rarely seem to do that. You can see why early jetliners favoured tail-mounted engines. They have their problems, but in this instance it seems they were a pretty good choice.