BA16 from SIN-LHR Cancelled
Posted by Ruanx9@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 51 comments
My mother landed on a British airways flight from Sydney to Singapore with the plane supposed to be continuing to London. It landed with a cracked windshield, the pilot told her it occurred one hour into the flight… sorry for the pixelated photo
poemdirection@reddit
Probably flew behind one of those big cargo planes hauling rocks. Pilots supposed to stay back 500 ft but they never learn.
Any chance Safelite can do the repair there on the apron or need to take it in?
AssRep@reddit
I would hope that BA has full coverage on their planes. That way, they don't get charged for a new windshield.
ballimi@reddit
That's why you should always rent your plane using a credit card, it includes rental excess insurance.
freestevenandbrendan@reddit
Bravo, this thread is way funnier than I expected lol
eguy888@reddit
Safelite repair, Safelite replace.
imanAholebutimfunny@reddit
jg wentworth and the safelite repair jingle. rent fucking free in my head.
absintheandartichoke@reddit
Just because the sign on the liftgate says “stay back 500 ft,” doesn’t mean the cargo plane owner is off the hook for failing to use their load cover in a crowded airway.
RamBone22@reddit
But they have little signs that say “not responsible for broken windshields” Sooo…checkmate
Ruanx9@reddit (OP)
😂
Ruanx9@reddit (OP)
They said they couldn’t do it on the apron and that it would take a while to repair it. I’m guessing they would have had to tow it to a hanger.
C4-621-Raven@reddit
Yeah, usually can’t do it outside, you need a crane and special sling for the 787 windshield. It’s over 100kg.
Ruanx9@reddit (OP)
Woah did not know that. Cheers for that information
LightningGeek@reddit
Depending on the sealant used, it could be a 48 job in total to replace the window.
There is a lot of prep work to do, including applying a release agent that takes 5 minutes per coat to dry, and needs multiple coats.
Then you do an initial torque on the window bolts of 35-40 in-lbs, and then you leave it for 8-12 hours to settle, and then apply a final torque of 60-70 in-lbs.
Then, depending on the sealant you use, and the variant of that sealant, it can either take 8-12 hours, or 3-24 hours to fully cure.
The manual does give you a couple of alternatives if operational requirements mean you need to fly sooner, but it does mean further checks, and some speed taping, in the meantime.
Ruanx9@reddit (OP)
Now that is interesting and awesome. Crikey that’s a good load of helpful information.
LightningGeek@reddit
I took it from the manual to be fair.
I usually work 777's, and the process is similar, but you have 3 torqueing stages over around 8 hours instead of 2. If you're working with a couple of good mechs/engineers, you can do a double screen replacement in a shift, and then you're just letting the sealant cure after that.
A-Delonix-Regia@reddit
The guy you replied to was joking since sometimes if you drive a car behind a truck carrying stones, some of those stones can fall out and hit your windshield.
Intelligent-Hand1676@reddit
Docked one point for not going with the obvious pun 'Safeflite'
chinesiumjunk@reddit
“No hooks”
boredclaudius@reddit
🤦🏻♂️ it’s “British” Airways so would be Autoglass
xylarr@reddit
I hate flying next to cement planes. The chute is never completely dry and drips cement all over the wings - upsets the aerodynamics.
InspectionNo6750@reddit
One of those things?
Lockheed Flatbed
blindfoldedbadgers@reddit
“Aerodynamics? Never heard of it.”
CPTMotrin@reddit
To everyone above. Thanks for the laughs! I love piled on sarcasm!
Schedulator@reddit
*concrete...needs to be corrected for fuel requirements.
nugeythefloozey@reddit
Has the FAA ever considered mandating load covers, like most of the world has? It dramatically reduces the risk of windscreen damage, and it only costs $4000 to put a tarp over a jumbo jet
poemdirection@reddit
Of course not! Regulatory capture and all that. Just the other day I saw a DC-10 go by and that center engines puffing every 5 seconds from another rock in the turbine.
Drive um like you stole um I guess.
kangadac@reddit
Better than the MD-80 we were behind on a SEA-ORD flight that had been modified to roll coal. Loud as hell, too; you could hear it chugging away even from 10 NM.
lizhien@reddit
Not to worry. SQ should have spares. They operate a fleet of 787-8/9/10.
good_gamer2357@reddit
SQ only fly the -10
lizhien@reddit
They share common pool items with Scoot. Putting my hands up. I'm not sure if the window part numbers are identical across the different aircraft.
good_gamer2357@reddit
Forget that scoot is owned by SQ, the branding between the two airlines couldn’t be anymore different
AceCombat9519@reddit
They don't want another mistake of speedbird 5390 windshield mistake in the UK windscreen seen on AAIB report
lampypete@reddit
Company probably decided it was easier to get it repaired in SIN, plenty of maintenance based there
joeykins82@reddit
Much more likely that it was assessed as safe to continue the flight seeing as only the outer layer had sustained damage, but not considered safe to start a flight in that condition.
Turning back to SYD would've been more disruptive and annoying for everyone involved so better to get people to SIN where BA have an extra service on an A380, plus the QF and SQ services.
If it'd happened an hour after leaving LHR I'd hazard a guess they'd have turned back.
Ruanx9@reddit (OP)
Bingo. Unfortunately BA had no flights left that day, she has been on a BA A380 24 hours later.
st_owly@reddit
Autoglass repair, autoglass replace
SystemCanNotFail@reddit
Your mum so fat that she landed on a plane and cracked the windshield.
Housemusicluv@reddit
Just call safelite
Alex_Bell_G@reddit
I don’t know the regulations and how much crack is allowed. But I’d rather have them cancelled than fly once they know about the issue. Singapore to Heathrow is a long way away.
Reminds me of British Airways Flight 5390. Not the same issue but the windshield blew off in flight due to faulty maintenance and the captain was sucked out of the cockpit and made the entire journey back to Southampton pinned to the fuselage above the cockpit. They managed to land safely but must have been a nightmarish flight and they weren’t even at cruise flight yet
Ruanx9@reddit (OP)
Oh I completely agree with you. That leg from Sydney was already at 7 hours and 40 mins. Flying to London would have been another 13-14. With less visibility.
I recall that one. Gives me the goosebumps just reading about it.
Avdan@reddit
I've got no experience on the 787, but on the A320 the cockpit windows are multi-layered. If we get a crack in the windshield, we have to touch the crack with a pen/fingernail. If we can't feel the crack on the inside layer of the window, then there's zero limitation and we can continue flight. If we do feel it on the inside, it's a lot more serious. My guess would be that the 787 is similar/the same.
Ruanx9@reddit (OP)
You are correct. The pilot told them, it was the multi layered and it was the outer layer that was cracked. However once they landed in Singapore, they had to cancel the onwards journey per regulation.
peterotoolesliver@reddit
That’s unsettling
Soafp_@reddit
If it was a serious issue the Crew would have deemed it necessary to return, however that made the equally safe evaluation in this situation to continue with the Flight
Ruanx9@reddit (OP)
According to the flight data, they kept flying at usual cruising altitude. The crew informed them once all other passengers who had connecting flights debarked. So right on!
UNDR08@reddit
Not the end of the world.
Ruanx9@reddit (OP)
Oh 100 percent. They flew 6 hours and 40 minutes like that
rafale77@reddit
Seems to be a design flaw on the dreamliners as these seem to occur more often than on other aircrafts But doesn’t appear to be a massive safety concern.
CASAdriver@reddit
They often have multiple layers of the glass/material with lamination in-between. So if one layer cracks, the whole window doesn't blow out
uncutlife@reddit
Did they put you up in a hotel?
Ruanx9@reddit (OP)
Yeah they put her up in a hotel in Singapore city itself. There were no flights left to Heathrow so she’s been put on the next one, the next day