Chilean carrier Sky Airlines flight 112 was forced to return to Santiago shortly after takeoff when a panel flew off the Airbus A319’s engine. A passenger was filming the takeoff:
I do find the inside of an engine fascinating — but not if I’m a passenger on the flight it’s powering.
Unsurprisingly, it turned right around. Passengers continuing their journey were accommodated on other flights.
(HT: Road Warrior Voices)
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In a case like this where the engine kept functioning, how does the pilot find out unless the passenger witnessing it immediately alerts the crew – which is an interesting position to be in if you ever find yourself there. How do you do this without causing panic and alarm? Ring the bell?
On an overseas flight once I was being intoxicated by kerosene fumes from the floor near me. I went to tell the purser who came and sat in my seat. He said he didn’t smell anything, but later asked me if I smelled it still and when I said No, told me the pilot had re-routed the fuel to the other side of the plane to be sure. I still suspect the purser had lied about not smelling it to avoid a scare. Probably best.
During the early 80s when Pan Am was still flying, I was on a flight SFO-HKG. 747-200 Coach, rear of wing window. Cruising altitude which was upper 30,000 feet. I was looking out the window and saw fluid flowing over the wing and then evaporating. I rang the call button and a flight attendent came over. I pointed out the “leak” , she saw it and disappeared. A little while later a young guy presumably second or third officer came out to our seat. He too saw the fluid flow….after a few minutes of looking at it, he turned to me and said..”What do you think it is?” Yikes, we are the mid pacific with North Korea and the USSR ahead. But I plunged ahead with an answer…”well fuel is most likely to be liquid at this altitude..? “. He said he didn’t think so..and then added “maybe hydraulic fluid. “. As if that would allay my concerns. He thanked me, disappeared up front…and suddenly it stopped. We landed safely but I didn’t stray too far the rest if that interminable flight staring at that wing.