GEG2RAP From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 838 posts, RR: 0 Posted (4 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 3276 times:
an exciting night in Yakima,
at 600PM local time, a NW A330-200 flying LHR-SEA divirted to YKM (says mechanical on nwa.com but probably due to fog in sea)
It is sitting on the ramp right now (probably the largest non-military plane to be in YKM in a long long time)
The A330 looks to be much larger than the airport terminal itself. I am in shock they came to YKM over GEG but brought some spice to my weekend.
Also an AA MD-83 is also here on the ground.
KELPkid From United States of America, joined Nov 2005, 5932 posts, RR: 4 Reply 2, posted (4 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days ago) and read 3153 times:
With the way fog has been forming down here in PDX land, I'm not suprised You'd think SEA would have CATIII approaches...
We've been under high pressure lately, and in the Pacific Northwest, that means THICK fog... So thick I was getting disoriented while driving to work last Monday.
Celebrating the birth of KELPkidJR on August 5, 2009 :-)
GEG2RAP From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 838 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (4 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days ago) and read 3142 times:
I have no idea why they didn't go to pdx, are there more restrictions on heavies landing in reduced visibility??
PDX had a stead steam of traffic landing. Could it actually have been mechanical?
YKM only has QX personal, and by the looks of it both planes are here for the night, now does that work with customs, NW book etc? If they just got buses how does that work with customs??
Pilots have also timed out by now.....good for the yakima hotel business
Vxg From United States of America, joined May 2004, 102 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (4 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days ago) and read 3118 times:
I just got back driving around Cougar Mountain this evening and I completely understand the thick fog issue. It was rough out there. However I am quite sure SEA has Cat IIIb approaches and in the past I've heard some airlines/aircraft conduct such approaches on ATC.
I guess I'm surprised NW's A330's are not capable of doing that. Anyone know what the RVR was at the time?
BayAreaBlue From United States of America, joined Jan 2007, 257 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (4 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days ago) and read 3073 times:
Couls be that th NW aircraft could have had it's CAT III downgraded due to an MEL or something. We have on occasion an aircraft that cannot land here in SEA during heavy fog due to CAT III downgrade.
Burnsie28 From United States of America, joined Aug 2004, 7411 posts, RR: 9 Reply 7, posted (4 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 2993 times:
NW's A330's are CAT III certified, in fact they did the testing for new runways CAT approaches before it actually opened.
"Some People Just Know How To Fly"- Best slogan ever, RIP NW 1926-2009
Alias1024 From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 2644 posts, RR: 2 Reply 8, posted (4 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 2933 times:
Quoting BayAreaBlue (Reply 5): Couls be that th NW aircraft could have had it's CAT III downgraded due to an MEL or something. We have on occasion an aircraft that cannot land here in SEA during heavy fog due to CAT III downgrade.
That would be my best guess, either a downgrade or equipment failure en-route that degraded their CAT III capability. All the expected alternates are experiencing fog tonight. Yakima looks like the best option given the thick fog in every valley from Seattle south to San Diego.
Quoting GEG2RAP (Thread starter): I am in shock they came to YKM over GEG but brought some spice to my weekend.
Spokane has been reporting RVRs of 1200 ft or less for the last 6 hours.
It is a mistake to think you can solve any major problems with just potatoes.
HAL From United States of America, joined Jan 2002, 2467 posts, RR: 53 Reply 9, posted (4 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 2896 times:
SEA can support Cat IIIb landings. But there are many reasons why a particular flight may not be able to shoot approaches in less than Cat I conditions. If the aircraft/airline/pilot isn't certified or current, then you may have to go elsewhere because: (1) The plane can be downgraded because of numerous mechanical problems that don't preclude it from making the trip, but do prevent an approach in Cat II or III conditions. (2) The airline may not be certified, or the particular aircraft type could be newly acquired at that airline and not yet be certified for low approaches. (3) Most airlines require an assurance autoland in VFR conditions within the past month to be legal to autoland under low conditions. If they haven't been able to make an autoland within that time period, the aircraft can't do it when the weather is bad. (4) The pilot may be newly upgraded and have 'high minimums' which prevents him from making Cat II or III approaches until he have a specified number of hours.
Any of these could be the reasons for certain diversions. In most cases these days, if the aircraft is certified Cat III, the pilot is current, and there are no MEL's affecting it, they can fly approaches down to at least 600 RVR, and in some cases as low as 300 RVR. I haven't seen any reports that low in SEA tonight, so I'm guessing all the diversions are for one or more of the reasons listed above.
HAL
One smooth landing is skill. Two in a row is luck. Three in a row and someone is lying.
NWAESC From United States of America, joined Aug 2007, 3324 posts, RR: 9 Reply 11, posted (4 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 2810 times:
Quoting GEG2RAP (Reply 3): YKM only has QX personal, and by the looks of it both planes are here for the night, now does that work with customs, NW book etc? If they just got buses how does that work with customs??
Pilots have also timed out by now.....good for the yakima hotel business
Well normally, the employees in YKM can't touch the plane if they don't have a customs seal on their ID. I can't imagine CBP has an office anywhere near YKM, but I could be wrong. Sometimes, carriers get someone that is cleared to let the people off (other airline), but even that isn't a possibility in YKM, short of flying/driving in, is it?
On top of that, I doubt there is a loader there, so the people might be at the Holiday Inn, but their bags are spending the night in whatever LD3 they left LHR in...
"Nothing ever happens here, " I said. "I just wait."
Nwaesc From United States of America, joined Aug 2007, 3324 posts, RR: 9 Reply 12, posted (4 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 2757 times:
UPDATE:
It looks like a combo of both weather & MTX...
It had a "no land III" msg. on approach, and also has an anti-ice valve problem. The flight itself is cxld... No idea on a return to service....
"Nothing ever happens here, " I said. "I just wait."
GEG2RAP From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 838 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (4 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 17 hours ago) and read 2675 times:
qx ran an extra section to ykm late last night, no idea who was on board...maybe NW personal to assist pax?? (extra section looks to be qx 397)
JB
Wedgetail737 From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 5530 posts, RR: 5 Reply 14, posted (4 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 2470 times:
The Seattle area has had two full days of fog, especially higher up. The valleys haven't been too bad.
BayAreaBlue From United States of America, joined Jan 2007, 257 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (4 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 2430 times:
Quoting GEG2RAP (Reply 13): qx ran an extra section to ykm late last night, no idea who was on board...maybe NW personal to assist pax?? (extra section looks to be qx 397)
JB
Flight number looks as though it is actually 2397. The flight is usually scheduled as MSO to SEA. The stop is coded as a diversion to YKM but no reason that I can find. The A/C left YKM for SEA with less people than it arrived with from MSO. Looks like no extra QX sections yesterday, same goes for AS.
Airbuske From United States of America, joined Jun 2007, 463 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (4 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 2378 times:
Quoting Nwaesc (Reply 12): It had a "no land III" msg. on approach, and also has an anti-ice valve problem. The flight itself is cxld... No idea on a return to service....
Yep, fog was bad. Autoland was required but a NO AUTOLAND ECAM message appeared on final approach.
GEG2RAP From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 838 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (4 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 1921 times:
a330 is still here in ykm a day later, several NWA trucks here working on her
must be something needing some work, what happens to their luggage??
Vxg From United States of America, joined May 2004, 102 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (4 years 5 months 3 weeks 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 1752 times:
What happened to the passengers then? Are they still held up there? I would hate to fly all the way from LHR (or wherever I was connecting from) to SEA and end up stuck in Yakima for 2 days! So close, but yet so far.....
NWAESC From United States of America, joined Aug 2007, 3324 posts, RR: 9 Reply 19, posted (4 years 5 months 3 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 1696 times:
Quoting GEG2RAP (Reply 17): must be something needing some work,
Anti-Ice valve replacement...
As for the bags? well, if someone at YKM has a loader, then out they come eventually. If not, I guess they figure out a way to jockey the cans around enough to unload them in the belly itself, then out with a belt loader (what a nightmare that'd be!).
"Nothing ever happens here, " I said. "I just wait."
Airbuske From United States of America, joined Jun 2007, 463 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (4 years 5 months 3 weeks 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 1568 times:
Sponsor Message: 
From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 838 posts, 
You'd think SEA would have CATIII approaches...
So thick I was getting disoriented while driving to work last Monday.
Printer friendly format 
