Any "Latest & Greatest" about Delta?

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06-16-2013 | 05:34 AM

#132851

N9373M

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Joined: Dec 2009

Posts: 2,115

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From: 127.0.0.1

Air Tran 426 Hail Damage 1998

Quote:

Originally Posted by Check Essential

Mechanic came up to the cockpit last night with a story.
We came this close to losing a Mad Dog two nights ago on approach to ATL.
Severe hail damage. Shattered both outer windshields. Destroyed the leading edge devices. Radome gone. Horizontal and vertical stabs shredded. Huge dents all over the fuselage. etc. etc.
Very, very bad.

Air Tran 426 ATL-MDW diverted to CHA. I was flying SDF - CAE (Grumman Cheetah) and also diverted to CHA due to the weather. The first time I saw a super cell airborne. From the FBO we could see the 717 parked across the ramp. Radome gone, shattered cockpit glass - very humbling.

Quite a memorable day. Blue Angels were also on the ramp for the weekend's show, Rene the FBO CSR, and of course, CHA is the home of Krystals.

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06-16-2013 | 05:56 AM

#132852

newKnow

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Joined: Feb 2007

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From: 765-A

Quote:

Originally Posted by 80ktsClamp

The radar in the CRJ was just awful. I always prioritized visual first, then radar and compare notes with ATC.

There were a number of times where I just dropped down to 10,000 or so and visually shimmied my way around. One of those times, I was fat dumb and happy down at 12,000 or so cruising by the waistlines of the storms in smooth air. All my buddies going into the same area either went hundreds of miles around or got the crap kicked out of them.

I was very thankful growing up hearing stories and techniques from the old Southern Airways bubbas at times like that! They have proven themselves over many times though many have either forgotten or never heard the art.

The radars on the Delta fleets are good enough where we can do just fine on our own outside of visual.. and I think the Airbus has the worst one, but it still is better than what was on the CRJ. Regardless.. no excuse to go through an area even if ATC is being obtuse. If we require a vector, I always state that we require that heading, we're not asking.

I'll be interested to see if we hear something about this incident in the coming weeks. I'll never forget at Pinnacle I ended up having to repo a plane that had half the winglet blown off from a lightening strike... I asked the captain what happened. "ATC wouldn't give us the deviation we needed so I went through the cell." Cue wide eyes and facepalm.

Back in the day, the DC-9's radars were horrible. I guess that turned me into a wimp, because I still don't see a problem with asking ATC which way people are going around the weather.

Why go left around a storm and get the crap beat out of you, when everyone ahead went right and got a smooth ride? The more info I have, the better.

06-16-2013 | 06:01 AM

#132853

newKnow

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Joined: Feb 2007

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From: 765-A

Quote:

Originally Posted by forgot to bid

Yup. Thats it. Another source of my cautious attitude regarding thunderstorms. When you are sitting in a little 'ole 727 and a 747-400 taxis by you looking like this, it gets your attention and keeps it for a long time.

06-16-2013 | 06:08 AM

#132854

newKnow

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Joined: Feb 2007

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From: 765-A

Quote:

Originally Posted by N9373M

Cringe. I hate seeing pilots being interviewed after an incident like this. I wonder what that guy is doing now.

06-16-2013 | 06:19 AM

#132855

dc10guy

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Joined: Apr 2012

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Quote:

Originally Posted by newKnow

Cringe. I hate seeing pilots being interviewed after an incident like this. I wonder what that guy is doing now.

he was downgraded to FO.

06-16-2013 | 07:04 AM

#132856

NERD

Line Holder

Joined: Apr 2009

Posts: 1,688

Likes: 66

To my fellow APCr's. I owe you for(and a commercial with Shaq) a discussion a few days back for a new found happiness in my life. Goldbond spray. It is exhilarating, refreshing, and a down right "party in your pants". Thank you, thank you, thank you.

06-16-2013 | 07:09 AM

#132857

Bucking Bar

Can't abide NAI

Joined: Jun 2007

Posts: 12,078

Likes: 15

From: Douglas Aerospace post production Flight Test & Work Around Engineering bulletin dissembler

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carl Spackler

Just to put a finer point on this, the question becomes what do you do when ATC still says "unable"? It is at that point you must declare an emergency and do what you feel is best.

Emergency declarations are almost free...they only require an ASAP afterwards.

Carl

Absolutely ... and I think most Captains see things this way.

Once while trying to comply with traffic requirements we started to get a hint of hail in clear air at altitude while trying to split the difference between weather requirements and ATC requests. Told ATC we needed to clearance to come South on the upwind side of the weather. They said no, "there are F15's in the MOA" I replied "XXX Flight XXX, PAN PAN, PAN tell the F15's we are coming, turning to heading 210 ..." Never heard a word from the airline (a regional that was at war with it's pilots at the time) or the FAA. Being in control of our aircraft is no big deal, it is a job requirement.

I do solicit input from traffic ahead. There are times when you can't get a visual on the weather and radar does not provide a good enough picture of vertical development. Good to know what the rides are like and to what degree the cabin needs to be secured.

80KTS certainly had a good idea about going low. Radar works a whole lot better painting up than down. If circumstances permit, getting low and dodging the rain shafts sure beats slogging along at the top of the aircraft's performance through imbedded weather. Ice and turbulence can reduce the options available to mitigate threats.