RoseFlyer From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 8737 posts, RR: 52 Posted (2 years 10 months 10 hours ago) and read 3102 times:
I had relatives flying ATL-GYE (Guayaquil Ecuador) on a DL 738 today. Apparently an hour into the flight there was a shutter and the plane diverted since an antenna apparently departed the plane. Does anyone know what happened? Apparently that flight is one of the longest 737 routes and frequently diverts because of fuel. The plane apparently was airborne for 3 hrs and 30 min for a flight of only 500 miles.
Did the impending tropical storm have any effect?
If you have never designed an airplane part before, let the real designers do the work!
RoseFlyer From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 8737 posts, RR: 52 Reply 2, posted (2 years 10 months 9 hours ago) and read 2985 times:
Quoting UAL747 (Reply 1):
The IAH-ANC run beats this by about 1000 miles. At a near block time of 4 hours and 30 min, ATL-GYE should not need fuels stops.
For some reason it takes them somewhat regularly. I believe that it has had a fuel stop 3 times so far this month.
If you have never designed an airplane part before, let the real designers do the work!
AA737-823 From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 5333 posts, RR: 11 Reply 3, posted (2 years 10 months 3 hours ago) and read 2759 times:
Quoting UAL747 (Reply 1): The IAH-ANC run beats this by about 1000 miles. At a near block time of 4 hours and 30 min, ATL-GYE should not need fuels stops.
That's quite true- I've been on said route for block times of over 7 hours. That said, flying this route several times a year, I can also testify that the flight often goes out weight restricted. And it ain't for runway performance- it's not like ANC gets warm, and we're also at sea level...
Quoting RoseFlyer (Thread starter): I had relatives flying ATL-GYE (Guayaquil Ecuador) on a DL 738 today. Apparently an hour into the flight there was a shutter and the plane diverted since an antenna apparently departed the plane. Does anyone know what happened? Apparently that flight is one of the longest 737 routes and frequently diverts because of fuel. The plane apparently was airborne for 3 hrs and 30 min for a flight of only 500 miles.
Did the impending tropical storm have any effect?
As someone who works on 737s, allow me to give my opinion. It's just an opinion, though.
I'm not really buying the antenna explanation. First, assuming the antenna was correctly installed, it is not only attached to the aircraft with approved hardware, but it's also got sealant goo holding it to the skin as well. Further, a departed antenna shouldn't cause a shudder or flutter.
After the recent Ryanair elevator shudder incident, I suspect 737NG pilots are wary of any odd vibrations coming from the tail, particularly if they can feel it i the control column. My suspicion is that they did feel something, and decided to make a precautionary diversion.
I'm not saying that someone was lying about the antenna, I simply find it... odd and unlikely.
The extra airborne time, given the short distance covered, was most likely for the purpose of burning off fuel to bring the bird back under max landing weight. A 737 can't dump fuel, so it must burn it instead, except in cases of a more active emergency, when they'll just take the hit of an overweight landing.
Cubsrule From United States of America, joined May 2004, 21208 posts, RR: 19 Reply 4, posted (2 years 9 months 4 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 2467 times:
Quoting RoseFlyer (Reply 2): For some reason it takes them somewhat regularly.
It may be an excess baggage issue, not something related to the range of the aircraft (AA has/had a similar problem on the SSA/REC flights on the 752 - though those flights were pushing the "normal" range of the 752 much more than ATL-GYE, which is some 1000 miles shorter than routes the 738 routinely flies).
I can't decide whether I miss the tulip or the bowling shoe more
TWAL1011727 From United States of America, joined Mar 2006, 597 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (2 years 9 months 4 weeks 21 hours ago) and read 1914 times:
Quoting RoseFlyer (Reply 2): Apparently an hour into the flight there was a shutter and the plane diverted since an antenna apparently departed the plane. Does anyone know what happened?
Not so....DL695 had a TCAS failure....
Deltas MELs states that TCAS is a requirement for flights going out or flying outside the continental U.S.
so they dropped into FLL and changed A/C.
The B737 was overweight so they held over the Fla Keys to burn off fuel and since it was not an emergency
they elected to not land overweight.
At no time was there a discussion between the pilots and maint/flight control about a "vibration"
kgaiflyer From United States of America, joined Jul 2008, 3639 posts, RR: 1 Reply 6, posted (2 years 9 months 4 weeks 19 hours ago) and read 1778 times:
Quoting AA737-823 (Reply 3): Quoting UAL747 (Reply 1):
The IAH-ANC run beats this by about 1000 miles. At a near block time of 4 hours and 30 min, ATL-GYE should not need fuels stops.
That's quite true- I've been on said route for block times of over 7 hours. That said, flying this route several times a year, I can also testify that the flight often goes out weight restricted. And it ain't for runway performance- it's not like ANC gets warm, and we're also at sea level...
I've ridden IAH-ANC a few times.
There used to be a scheduled stop at SEA where no one left the plane but a handful of passengers boarded; where catering was added; where gray water was removed and blue water added; and where fuel was topped off. Everything was done quickly -- in just enough time for me to deboard, buy a copy of the Seattle Post Intelligencer from a kiosk, and reboard the plane before the door was closed.
The plane itself *did not* RON in Anchorage, but spun quickly and headed back to Houston about 45 minutes after landing at ANC.
Does the DL plane remain on the ground long enough to take on a full load of fuel?
kgaiflyer From United States of America, joined Jul 2008, 3639 posts, RR: 1 Reply 7, posted (2 years 9 months 4 weeks 19 hours ago) and read 1742 times:
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21448 posts, RR: 24 Reply 8, posted (2 years 9 months 4 weeks 19 hours ago) and read 1722 times:
Quoting UAL747 (Reply 1): Quoting RoseFlyer (Thread starter):
Apparently that flight is one of the longest 737 routes and frequently diverts because of fuel.
The IAH-ANC run beats this by about 1000 miles.
There are quite a few much longer 738 nonstops than ATL-GYE (2155 nm). A few that come to mind:
AA737-823 From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 5333 posts, RR: 11 Reply 9, posted (2 years 9 months 4 weeks 17 hours ago) and read 1621 times:
Quoting kgaiflyer (Reply 6): There used to be a scheduled stop at SEA where no one left the plane but a handful of passengers boarded; where catering was added; where gray water was removed and blue water added; and where fuel was topped off. Everything was done quickly -- in just enough time for me to deboard, buy a copy of the Seattle Post Intelligencer from a kiosk, and reboard the plane before the door was closed.
The plane itself *did not* RON in Anchorage, but spun quickly and headed back to Houston about 45 minutes after landing at ANC.
That's still true of CO 667/223 and 1581 from EWR. But, in peak season, there are also nonstops from IAH. Currently, this is being done with a 757-300 (thank you, winglets), but it's also run with 757-200 aircraft, with an occasional 767-200 sub. In past years, there were TWO nonstops, each with a 737-800.
Quoting TWAL1011727 (Reply 5): Not so....DL695 had a TCAS failure....
Deltas MELs states that TCAS is a requirement for flights going out or flying outside the continental U.S.
so they dropped into FLL and changed A/C.
The B737 was overweight so they held over the Fla Keys to burn off fuel and since it was not an emergency
they elected to not land overweight.
MAN, did I NAIL THIS ONE OR WHAT?!?!?!? I said:
Quoting AA737-823 (Reply 3): I'm not saying that someone was lying about the antenna, I simply find it... odd and unlikely.
and:
Quoting AA737-823 (Reply 3): The extra airborne time, given the short distance covered, was most likely for the purpose of burning off fuel to bring the bird back under max landing weight.
So now we know they lost TCAS. Possibly due to a malfunctioning antenna, but there was no antenna-induced shudder.
Woohoo- pat on the back to me!
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