Worst Plane Experience?

[47205]

What was your worst plane experience?

Mine was returning from Panama City Bay Cty. Intl. Airport, we had a Beechcraft 1900D, the first one acctually broke down with an engine failure! The second one then turned-up and we were told we had to fly straight through a storm, in a 19-seater. hock: So, about 20 minutes into the flight, there was a sudden loud bang, and the aircraft shot down 30 feet, withsomeone (with water) getting soaked.

 

[AJP]

I was going to Tenerife from Manchester on a MY Travel 737 or airbus 319 or something and the flight was perfect untill the landing. We were fine, just about to hit the runway I thought we had landed then all of a suden were back in the sky, we climbed so steeply i thought WTF!
We cirlced the airport, Turning really sharply ,low over the water, It wasnt that bad when someone behind you crying 'We are all gunna die!' Doesnt exactly help. We landed safely.

 

[traveller1030]

Really bad turbulence on a 747, making my way home from Orlando. So bad that one shake of the aircraft sent me a foot off the floor. Cue 'fasten seatbelts' and easily the most frightening flight I've been on.

 

[traveller1030]

I was going to Tenerife from Manchester on a MY Travel 737 or airbus 319 or something and the flight was perfect untill the landing. We were fine, just about to hit the runway I thought we had landed then all of a suden were back in the sky, we climbed so steeply i thought WTF!
We cirlced the airport, Turning really sharply ,low over the water, It wasnt that bad when someone behind you crying 'We are all gunna die!' Doesnt exactly help. We landed safely.

Interesting - any idea why the original landing got an 'abort'??? hock:

 

[tramboy]

Three experiences...one from Roma Fiumencio, where it had just rained heavily all morning (as it is prone to do in Italy after long hot weeks) and the aircraft had been stood in the rain. Someone, then connected an air conditioning pipe to the airplane, without emptying it of water first, and turned it on. The captain explained it as "well, it often rains outside the aircraft, but not normally inside!" So it was being dried out and we were eventually let on. Towels were over certain seats, and when we took off...the people at the back got ever so slightly wet...as the water not emptied fell on them!! (BA not to blame btw!)

The second was a BMI flight to Heathrow, from Nice. Interesting go-round...we get to see the end of the runway, nearly down, before full power and steep climbing..."Ladies and Gentlemen you'll note we're not on the ground...that's because the Italian in front of us can't understand the instruction turn right at nearest exit. So, instead of hitting him, we'll go back up, around and then try again"!!

Finally, an excellent landing by CSA...Prague to Heathrow...where I think it might have been the co-pilot's first landing! We eventually touched the runway about halfway down it...and then decided to brake rapidly, as well as reversing thrust fully! A rather fast stop that was!!

Cheers

Dave

 

[AJP]

I was going to Tenerife from Manchester on a MY Travel 737 or airbus 319 or something and the flight was perfect untill the landing. We were fine, just about to hit the runway I thought we had landed then all of a suden were back in the sky, we climbed so steeply i thought WTF!
We cirlced the airport, Turning really sharply ,low over the water, It wasnt that bad when someone behind you crying 'We are all gunna die!' Doesnt exactly help. We landed safely.

Interesting - any idea why the original landing got an 'abort'??? hock:

That was the thing no one annouced why,apprantly they have to tell you. It was not windy at all maye something on the runway but I was glad to it the tarmac

 

[Guinness]

I was going to Tenerife from Manchester on a MY Travel 737 or airbus 319 or something and the flight was perfect untill the landing. We were fine, just about to hit the runway I thought we had landed then all of a suden were back in the sky, we climbed so steeply i thought WTF!
We cirlced the airport, Turning really sharply ,low over the water, It wasnt that bad when someone behind you crying 'We are all gunna die!' Doesnt exactly help. We landed safely.

Interesting - any idea why the original landing got an 'abort'??? hock:

It was most likely a Missed Approach (Lets say its foggy and the Pilot can't see the Runway) or a Go-Around (At a busy Airport and theres a queue of planes waiting to land and the one in front hasn't cleared the Runway you have to Go Around and try again).

It would of been an A320/321 you were on AJP.

 

[Julian G]

Flights so far
Gatwick-Heralikon 757
Heathrow-Warsaw on a 737,A319,757,767, Tupolev Tu154*
Heathrow-Koln on a CRJ200
Gatwick-Tenerife 757,737,A321, 767
Gatwick-Rhodes 737
Heathrow- Dusseldorf-737
Heathrow- Rome/Milan>Catania/Palermo -A319/A321/DC9
* I'm never doing that plane again
Airlines I have been on..
LOT Polish Airlines
Lufthansa
Lufthansa Cityline
Alitalia
British Airways
Excel Airways
First Choice
Air 2000
Monarch
----------------
Worst flight..
Catania to London Heathrow via Rome
The engine kept roaring , rubbish seats
Flight landed 5mins late into Heathrow

 

[47205]

Of course the engines roar Julian, and you don't complain when you go a HST :roll:

 

[Angus]

Interesting - any idea why the original landing got an 'abort'??? hock:

Go-arounds are fairly common at busy airports - it would have been because an aircraft in front hadn't cleared the runway either because it had missed the taxiway turnoff or ATC had vectored aircraft in too close to each other (common at places like Heathrow where it is a priority to get as many aircraft through as possible). Either that or the approach was just cocked up and the pilot flying it decided to go around and try again.

 

[yorkie]

Go-arounds are fairly common at busy airports - it would have been because an aircraft in front hadn't cleared the runway either because it had missed the taxiway turnoff or ATC had vectored aircraft in too close to each other (common at places like Heathrow where it is a priority to get as many aircraft through as possible). Either that or the approach was just cocked up and the pilot flying it decided to go around and try again.

That does sound a bit worrying to me. Signallers on the railways are not allowed to compromise safety by trying to get as many trains through as possible, and the preceding train must be proven to be clear of the section before a train can proceed.

So why are air traffic controllers allowed to put aircraft too close together? :?

 

[Jordy]

Interesting - any idea why the original landing got an 'abort'??? hock:

Go-arounds are fairly common at busy airports - it would have been because an aircraft in front hadn't cleared the runway either because it had missed the taxiway turnoff or ATC had vectored aircraft in too close to each other (common at places like Heathrow where it is a priority to get as many aircraft through as possible). Either that or the approach was just cocked up and the pilot flying it decided to go around and try again.

Yeah, i've experianced that at Toronto airport in Canada. The plane in the way was a Virgin one, typical :roll:

Jordy

 

[Angus]

That does sound a bit worrying to me. Signallers on the railways are not allowed to compromise safety by trying to get as many trains through as possible, and the preceding train must be proven to be clear of the section before a train can proceed.

So why are air traffic controllers allowed to put aircraft too close together? :?

It doesn't compromise safety - they're not putting the aircraft that close together, just too close together sometimes for aircraft to clear the runway before the next aircraft enters the "safety margin" distance between them. The reason why they can do it is because if aircraft are too close together, some can be sent around, and so there isn't a safety risk (in railway signalling there isn't this "escape route" when two trains are in the same section).

It's not really like putting two trains in the same section - think of it in terms of a signaller at a busy junction having too many trains on his hands and having to hold some at signals - there isn't a safety risk involved here, it's just that some trains have to be slightly delayed to allow others to clear the junction, and the same is true in the ATC situation.

Having recently met and spent some time working with several air traffic controllers, I can assure you that they are first rate people who are extremely competent and committed. I worry about aviation safety when airline management and politicians/civil servants are about, but ATC and pilots are two groups of people that I would willingly entrust my life to any day.