JetBlue Flight Diverts After Tail Strike.
 

https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/...n-tail-strike/
(Video in article)

JetBlue Flight Diverts After Evasive Action Tail Strike

By Russ Niles

January 29, 2022
The FAA and NTSB are investigating a Jan. 22 tail strike that appears to have resulted from evasive action taken by the crew of JetBlue A320 at an uncontrolled airport in Hayden, Colorado. The FAA has confirmed the tail strike and that it’s investigating. The NTSB is classifying it as an accident and is calling the damage “substantial.” The Aviation Safety Network is reporting the incident happened when the JetBlue crew spotted a King Air 350 on final for the opposite end of the runway on which they were nearing takeoff speed. “The aircraft became airborne in a hard right-hand banking turn and climbed away to the right of the runway,” the publication reported. “The flight climbed to FL310 and the flight crew decided to divert to Denver International Airport, Colorado, where it landed safely ….”

Aviation Safety Network says the King Air was about three miles out when the A320 started its takeoff roll and the two planes passed within about a half-mile of each other. The other airplane is owned and operated by an Oklahoma television service provider. Hayden-Yampa Valley is the airport that serves airlines and large business jets for those going to the Steamboat Springs resort area, about 200 miles northeast of Denver. It’s a CTAF airport with a Unicom frequency (123.00). Instrument approaches are handled by Denver Center. Weather at the time of the incident was cloudy with calm winds and a temperature of about 14 degrees F.

:eek: Yeah they hauled back on it all right.

They knew they had a tail strike, and elected to pressurize and climb to FL310 prior to deciding to divert?

Wisdom lacks.

Really dislike arm chair quarterbacks.

What does the QRH say?

Do you think they did not contact their company about this? Maybe expanding the team they decided on this action?

Are you familiar with the MSAs in that area? 10k will put you in a mountain depending on where you are at, the weather was overcast to BTW

Let the crew alone. Let's see what shakes out of the investigation. Until then, let it rest.

Same as probably most other jets, Land ASAP, max alt 10K or MEA/MORA.

This is one of those times you have to make some decisions asap, then coordinate with the company after. Do some of that PIC stuff. Or follow the QRH.

If they were in the soup that would justify operating IFR and getting vectors to a long RWY, likely DEN.

But FL180 would have been plenty, going to 310 seems to indicate lack of SA or decisiveness since that's unnecessary additional delta psi on the tube. Or lack of QRH reading comprehension. That's probably a good lesson learned to discuss that doesn't need to wait for the NTSB.

Intimately.

This is you? The guy that's in everyone's business, can't shut up for five minutes, preacher to the free world, worried about what someone else has to say.

Don't you worry about putting words in my mouth, or shutting it. I speak very well for myself, thanks.

Flying a tailstrike to FL310 is idiotic. Period.

The MSA's are not at 310. There you go. Threw you a bone.

I have a fist full of type ratings. Flight engineer, mechanic, yada, yada. A few FAA certificates. I've yet to see an aircraft that recommended pressurizing after a tail strike. Maybe there's one out there, but you'll have to prove it to me, because if you tell me there is, I won't believe you.

I'm not questioning the crew's action in avoiding a collision. It may have been warranted, it may not. What they took seconds to decide will be pulled apart for a long time to come. But the decision to pressurize and climb to FL310 to fly to an airport a short distance away...is not part of that evasive action. If that crew climbed to FL310, they weren't planning to divert to nearby Denver. It may be that they were directed to do so, but clearly they had other actions in mind, and taking an aircraft with a potentially compromised pressure vessel, especially potential damage to the rear pressure bulkhead (tailstrike, remember?) to altitude, and pressurizing it, is a damn idiotic thing to do.

If you don't understand the ramifications of a failed aft pressure bulkhead, you might want to educate yourself by reading up on JAL 123. That's what happens when an aft pressure bulkhead lets go in flight.

Hayden has been a cluster for years with biz and GA types popping in and out not talking to anyone. Few years ago the feds went after an airline crew for canceling on final then having to take actions when another unannounced aircraft required maneuverings and subsequent go-around..

Anyone puled the LIVE ATC tapes to see if proper radio calls were made by both sides?

THIS is the larger issue here. Was one airplane or the other not on the CTAF? How in the H311 do you end up with nose-to-nose at an un-towered airport without somebody being totally off the reservation? That said, the glaring inability of many pilots in a non-tower or non-radar environment is appalling.