An Asiana Airbus A321 from Seoul Incheon. Photo credit: N509FZ Can you open an emergency door mid-flight? If not, why not? This is a common question from air travelers. The simple answer is no, you certainly cannot open the door at mid-flight. However, there have been rare instances where doors were opened at lower altitudes. …
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Miracle on Qantas A380 Flight 32 Photo: Ramani What are some common parts that may fall off a plane and cause it to crash? Aircraft parts such as fasteners, hatch covers, cargo doors or engines falling off planes are very rare. On July 25, 2000, a metal strip did fall off from a Continental DC-10 …
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Mayday call of Qantas flight after an engine failure Photo: 123RF Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! What does this actually mean? ‘Mayday!’ when repeated 3 times with details and broadcasted over the radio is a cry for help in a life-threatening situation. In days gone by, radio communications could be bad and any distress call must …
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Image credit: Allec Joshua Ibay An Air India Express Boeing 737-800 Why does the plane suddenly go around? A go-around occurs when the pilot makes a decision not to continue a landing. It is also called a missed approach, wave-off, rejected or aborted landing. Whatever one chooses to call it, the captain is definitely not …
Image: Bull Bosphorus A United Airlines Boeing 777 engine on Fire What is the best way for a pilot to deal with an engine fire? Engine fire is a very rare occurrence in modern planes today. Nevertheless, it did happen on a Boeing 777 in Denver last year. The best way for a pilot to …
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British Airways Boeing 747 flying into a volcanic ash cloud What does a pilot say when he thinks he is going to crash? On 24 June 1982, a British Airways Boeing 747, flying from Kuala Lumpur to Perth encountered volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount Galunggung in Indonesia. It caused all the 4 engines …
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