CHC Closed Due To Two Severe Aftershocks — Civil Aviation Forum

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CHC Closed Due To Two Severe Aftershocks

EDICHC From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR:
Posted (1 year 4 months 4 weeks 8 hours ago) and read 6690 times:

As says in the title. Christchurch airport closed until firther notice with all services cancelled or delayed due to two severe aftershocks mag 5.8 and 5.3 at 13.58 and 15.18 local times.

15 replies: All unread, jump to last

ADent From United States of America, joined Dec 2006, 1174 posts, RR: 1
Reply 1, posted (1 year 4 months 4 weeks 8 hours ago) and read 6638 times:

If 5.8 is Severe, what is the description for the Japanese aftershocks of 6.7 and 7.1 (not counting the 7.9 same day as the big quake)?

Looks like not too much damage in this quake thankfully.

Of course with comments like "There's not a heck of a lot of buildings left to wreck, to bring down in an earthquake, to be perfectly honest" by a fire chief - sounds like tough times.

EDICHC From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR:
Reply 2, posted (1 year 4 months 4 weeks 8 hours ago) and read 6612 times:

Correction to the above...

Three significant shocks 5.8 at 13.58, 5.3 at 14.06 and 5.8 at 15.19 (all times local)

Christchurch Airport remains closed until further notice, obviously major disruption to air services. QF45 SYD-CHC diverted to WLG

Edited to add, shock at 15.19 now upgraded to 6.0mag

Further edit to add, CHC hopes to reopen 17.30 local time

[Edited 2011-12-22 20:23:02]

RoseFlyer From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 8737 posts, RR: 52
Reply 3, posted (1 year 4 months 4 weeks 7 hours ago) and read 6429 times:

Hope everything gets back to normal quickly in the city and at the airport. I am flying to CHC on Tuesday!

If you have never designed an airplane part before, let the real designers do the work!

EDICHC From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR:
Reply 4, posted (1 year 4 months 4 weeks 7 hours ago) and read 6410 times:

Quoting ADent (Reply 1):
If 5.8 is Severe, what is the description for the Japanese aftershocks of 6.7 and 7.1

Magnitude is not a very accurate guide it only relates to the total energy released at the hypocentre, not the shaking forces felt at the surface and in urban areas. There are other equally significant factors such as proximity and depth. Combining these factors results in the most telling but least quoted measurement the Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA). The destructiveness is really determined by the PGA and the duration of the quake rather than the magnitude alone

The Japanese quakes inc the big one were centred some 150km offshore and 60 km deep. PGAs were in the region of 0.9G, the considerable loss of life was not due to the quakes but rather the tsunamis they generated. The CHC ones are centred within the city boundaries and between 5 and 8km deep, the highly destructive Feb 22 quake while 'only' 6.3 generated PGAs of 1.85 in the CBD and 2.05 in the suburb where the epicentre was located. These are some of the highest ever PGAs ever recorded in urban areas in any quakes anywhere in the world.

This also explains why the Feb 22 quake (6.3) was far more destructive that the 7.1 quake of 4th Sept 2010.

[Edited 2011-12-22 20:42:12]

[Edited 2011-12-22 20:49:34]

zkncj From New Zealand, joined Nov 2005, 180 posts, RR: 0
Reply 5, posted (1 year 4 months 4 weeks 7 hours ago) and read 6332 times:

Just seen on TV3 that CHC will reopen shortly, with only 1 runway in operation.

jetfuel From Australia, joined Jan 2005, 2066 posts, RR: 0
Reply 6, posted (1 year 4 months 4 weeks 7 hours ago) and read 6312 times:

The number of quakes in the last 13 months is simply staggering...

- September 4, 2010 (9281 quakes)
- February 22, 2011 (4853 quakes)
- June 13, 2011 (1463 quakes)
- Today (6 quakes)
- Within the past week (30 quakes)

http://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/today

Where's the passion gone out of the airline industry? The smell of jetfuel and the romance of taking a flight....

nzrich From New Zealand, joined Dec 2005, 1487 posts, RR: 1
Reply 7, posted (1 year 4 months 4 weeks 6 hours ago) and read 6262 times:

CHC airport is now open . Have to say it was 2 very violent shakes !! Man we in CHC are over them ..

"Pride of the pacific"

EDICHC From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR:
Reply 8, posted (1 year 4 months 4 weeks 5 hours ago) and read 6134 times:

Quoting jetfuel (Reply 6):
- Today (6 quakes)

Ahem....25 today, 12 mag 4 or greater.

skygirl1990 From New Zealand, joined Jun 2010, 115 posts, RR: 1
Reply 9, posted (1 year 4 months 4 weeks 2 hours ago) and read 5914 times:

How were the ATS services affected today by the quakes? Any disruptions etc?

x Jessie x

EDICHC From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR:
Reply 10, posted (1 year 4 months 4 weeks 2 hours ago) and read 5906 times:

Quoting skygirl1990 (Reply 9):
How were the ATS services affected today by the quakes? Any disruptions etc?

Not sure exactly. I'm pretty certain all airspace covered by CHC tower would have been closed as the building would have been evacuated temporarily given it's height and the need for it to be inspected by engineers.

NZ107 From New Zealand, joined Jul 2005, 5672 posts, RR: 40
Reply 11, posted (1 year 4 months 4 weeks 1 hour ago) and read 5860 times:

Just noticed that NZ has put on a 744 AKL-CHC to help relieve the backlog.

It's all about the destination AND the journey.

mikey72 From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2009, 1780 posts, RR: 2
Reply 12, posted (1 year 4 months 3 weeks 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 5269 times:

They are very shallow quakes too. Not good.

[Edited 2011-12-23 04:54:07]

Flying is like sex - I've never had all I wanted but occasionally I've had all I can stand.

skygirl1990 From New Zealand, joined Jun 2010, 115 posts, RR: 1
Reply 13, posted (1 year 4 months 3 weeks 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 3151 times:

Quoting EDICHC (Reply 10):
Not sure exactly. I'm pretty certain all airspace covered by CHC tower would have been closed as the building would have been evacuated temporarily given it's height and the need for it to be inspected by engineers.

I was more thinking about ATS services like Christchurch Information, and Control

x Jessie x

Mr AirNZ From New Zealand, joined Feb 2002, 763 posts, RR: 1
Reply 14, posted (1 year 4 months 3 weeks 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 2963 times:

Quoting skygirl1990 (Reply 9):
How were the ATS services affected today by the quakes? Any disruptions etc?

As with earlier quakes. Radar building in CHC evacuated, all IFR departures nationwide put on hold and flights in the air at the time left to fend for themselves (TIBA) with of course assistance from tower centres around the country.

kiwinlondon From New Zealand, joined Dec 2011, 46 posts, RR: 0
Reply 15, posted (1 year 4 months 3 weeks 4 days 17 hours ago) and read 1642 times:

As a matter of interest when Qf and EK have to divert flights in these instances what happens to crews etc? presumably they have time limits? Do the flights simply wait around until the airport reopens?

Kiwinlondon

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