Mesa Airlines Emergency Landing @ KBFF

[Stomp16]

I just happened to be looking at FlightAware for my home town airport yesterday and under equipment I noticed an unusual aircraft to be going into that airport. A Dash-8. We never have those out there. Then I saw it was diverted and today I found out why...

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/ASH7177/history/20080620/0119Z/KRAP/KDEN

http://www.starherald.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19789433&BRD=484&PAG=461&dept_id=553251&rfi=6

 

[970Flyer]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but why would they circle to burn off fuel when the problem was with oil pressure? I'm not a real smart guy, but I would rather land with full fuel and the engine running than burn off fuel and take a chance at the engine NOT running because of an oil problem.

 

[SpiraMirabilis]

If there is a low oil pressure light the memory items in the Dash-8 calls for verifying the low oil pressure and if it is below 40psi performing an engine shut down. So the engine would already not be running, probably.

Additionally keep in mind that that was the news media stating that they were circling to burn off fuel. A more likely scenario might be that they were getting delay vectors while they finished their checklists.

However, it is also possible but unlikely that they were above their max landing weight (34,500lbs in the -200) in which case they would have to burn off fuel.

 

[aeroman2]

If there is a low oil pressure light the memory items in the Dash-8 calls for verifying the low oil pressure and if it is below 40psi performing an engine shut down. So the engine would already not be running, probably.

Additionally keep in mind that that was the news media stating that they were circling to burn off fuel. A more likely scenario might be that they were getting delay vectors while they finished their checklists.

However, it is also possible but unlikely that they were above their max landing weight (34,500lbs in the -200) in which case they would have to burn off fuel.

just another example of the media's diarhia(spell) of the mouth about things they have nooo clue about. I love it when they get there "aviation expert" to comment!

 

[Baronman]

Well...I agree with the reporter's report..."The plane circled....and burned off fuel." But I don't read into it saying that they were circling to burn off fuel, note the slight difference.

I can't quote FAR verse for aircraft certification, but I know that if an aircraft is built without fuel dumping capability, it has to be able to land at it's Max Take Off Weight without a problem. If I had some sort of engine malfunction in the ERJ for instance, I'm not going to fly around for an 90 minutes burning gas till I get below max landing weight. In my best judgement and using emergency authority, I'm landing even if a couple thousand pounds over weight....Maintenenance will come out, check out the gear and provided I didn't make a pot-hole, they'll sign it off...presumably they'll be busy hanging another engine.

I think the Dash crew probably were probably just troubleshooting, contacting company, and formulating a plan that they later carried out. To a reporter this is called "circling." Kudos to the crew.

 

[Bandit_Driver]

Well...I agree with the reporter's report..."The plane circled....and burned off fuel." But I don't read into it saying that they were circling to burn off fuel, note the slight difference.

I can't quote FAR verse for aircraft certification, but I know that if an aircraft is built without fuel dumping capability, it has to be able to land at it's Max Take Off Weight without a problem. If I had some sort of engine malfunction in the ERJ for instance, I'm not going to fly around for an 90 minutes burning gas till I get below max landing weight. In my best judgement and using emergency authority, I'm landing even if a couple thousand pounds over weight....Maintenenance will come out, check out the gear and provided I didn't make a pot-hole, they'll sign it off...presumably they'll be busy hanging another engine.

I think the Dash crew probably were probably just troubleshooting, contacting company, and formulating a plan that they later carried out. To a reporter this is called "circling." Kudos to the crew.

Have to agree with you on that one. In my early days we had a problem and returned to the field above max landing. The captain declared and landed over gross after the checklists were finished. MX tried to talk the capt into holding with a failing engine

 

[CcrlR737AMT]

just another example of the media's diarhia(spell) of the mouth about things they have nooo clue about. I love it when they get there "aviation expert" to comment!

Seriously, there needs to be some regulation on what they can say when it comes to aviation emergencies and incindents. Just get the expert and call him or her!!!:laff:

 

[Stomp16]

Another article came out in the paper today about this incident....

http://www.starherald.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19792386&BRD=484&PAG=461&dept_id=553251&rfi=6


It states in the paper (although, whatever credit that may have) that the pilots were talking to Denver Center to figure out if they were too big to get into KBFF. WHAT? Can't you just get out your charts and see that there runways are plenty big? It was a bomber base in WWII..........

http://204.108.4.16/d-tpp/0806/00383AD.PDF

How much runway does a Dash-8 need for landing anyways?

 

[Gonzo]

It states in the paper (although, whatever credit that may have) that the pilots were talking to Denver Center to figure out if they were too big to get into KBFF. WHAT? Can't you just get out your charts and see that there runways are plenty big? It was a bomber base in WWII..........

My guess is they didn't have charts for KBFF. In the 121 world I carry less charts then I do when I fly GA in the SE US.

 

[Baronman]

They may not have approach plates readily available for that airport. We have plates for all the airports we serve, and even other supplemental airports are found in a shrink wrapped "brick" found in the cockpit.

But I wouldn't hesitate to ask the controllers the length of a possible suitable airport and any significant notams for the field. Sure, I guess your low altitude chart would have that info but to be honest, I usually only have my high altitude charts out and in an emergency I would elect to ask the controller before I go digging around at night in my flight kit for low altitude map 24.....

 

[Stomp16]

Ok. Thanks for the replies. It just seemed kind of odd to me that they didn't know if they were to big or not.