British Airways 747 Incident @ Johannesburg O.R. Tambo Airport

[Benn49]

British Airways 747 collided with a building during taxi. No injures.

From The Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...es-with-building-at-Johannesburg-airport.html

 

[maninblack]

That is an absolute beauty. That would have taken someones head off. Wrong taxiway?

 

[moa999]

What's more amazing is how far along they've dragged the tip - either a lot of speed or no idea what was happening.

A lengthy repair or immediate retirement I suspect

 

[RooFlyer]

Good grief. Talk about a "Bugxer" moment.

I wonder if the plane was behind a "Follow me" car?

ps Good on the Tele. No sign of story on BBC at 1pm AEDT (2AM GMT)

 

[docjames]

Wow that's an expensive "oops".

 

[samh004]

Yikes!

That doesn't look good, but they do happen from time to time.

 

[moa999]

Tele picked up the photo off twitter. Tweeted to pax asking permission to use photo which was granted and up went the story... New age journalism

 

[samh004]

Harriet Tolputt, the head of media for Oxfam, was on the flight when the collision occured. She wrote on Twitter: “BA plane crashes into building at J Burg airport. No one injured only the pilot’s pride. Not impressed that first class passengers get off before premium economy during an emergency.”

I realise she probably has no experience with what constitutes an emergency regarding a plane, but if the slides weren't used you'd have thought it registered that it wasn't that big an issue in her mind. Sure, you've lost a wing, but you're on the ground, no injuries etc.

Also, only flying with 55-63% capacity (depending on fitout)? That can't be cheap!

Tele picked up the photo off twitter. Tweeted to pax asking permission to use photo which was granted and up went the story... New age journalism

Can't have been News Limited then

 

[moa999]

Linking image from airliners.net thread - appears to show that aircraft missed the turn that takes it to the runway.
Thread: Incident: BA 747 Wing Smacks Into Building — Civil Aviation Forum | Airliners.net

 

[Skyring]

Linking image from airliners.net thread - appears to show that aircraft missed the turn that takes it to the runway.
Thread: Incident: BA 747 Wing Smacks Into Building — Civil Aviation Forum | Airliners.net

Some news stories report the plane "veering off the runway", others that it struck a building "on the edge of the runway". Reasonably familiar with JNB - three visits this year - and a quick browse through Google Maps found the only building that matched the geometry of the Twitter pic, which is as shown above. The pilot simply missed his turn and continued on the taxiway which narrows considerably. Could happen to anybody, particularly at night.

 

[RooFlyer]

If the plane was heading towards a runway, then would have been fueled up - think about wing fuel tanks.

In this story there is a report of leaking fuel, needing to be foamed over. Leaking fuel and sliced building (and sliced electrics) sounds like a potential bad situation to me.

 

[Skyring]

If the plane was heading towards a runway, then would have been fueled up - think about wing fuel tanks.

In this story there is a report of leaking fuel, needing to be foamed over. Leaking fuel and sliced building (and sliced electrics) sounds like a potential bad situation to me.

Could have been very bad. Luckily the building appears to have been unoccupied, presumably after COB, though at a major airport that's a movable feast. The wingtip seems to have dragged through several rooms, leading me to wonder how long it took before the brakes were applied, and possibly the pilot hit the brakes before actually hitting the building? These things don't stop in a flash.

Had to laugh at the complaint that the First pax were taken away in buses before the premium economy. My experience with BA is that if buses are involved, there's one bus for F, one for J, and these whip off as soon as those specific pax are loaded, regardless of how many of the lower orders could cram aboard.

 

[Skyring]

MEDIA STATEMENT 23 December 2013 British Airways accident injures four officials at OR Tambo
Midrand. The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) confirms that a British Airways flight outbound to Heathrow International airport from OR Tambo International airport had an accident on Sunday evening just after 23h00 injuring 4 people. According to the preliminary report, the SACAA was informed that the B747-400 aircraft was cleared for takeoff on Runway 03L. Further, it was confirmed to the SACAA that the air crew got instructions from the Air Traffic Control to taxi using taxi way B. The crew continued onto taxi way M which is narrower resulting in the aircraft impacting on an office building behind the SAA Technical hangers. Four officials who were in the building were injured by the debris from the building. The 17 Crew and 185 passengers who were in the aircraft escaped unharmed and were evacuated from the aircraft through door no. 5.
Fuel spillage was reported from the aircraft but this was contained by the airport fire services without further incidents.
The SACAA dispatched investigators last night and early this morning they witnessed the recovery of the aircraft as well as the removal of the flight recorder from the aircraft. The investigation continues.
The South African Civil Aviation Authority wishes a speedy recovery to the injured officials.

http://www.caa.co.za/press_files/2013/Media Statement - BA aircraft incident injures four.pdf

 

[markis10]

Photo from pprune of building sans wing.

 

[pauly7]

Well if they do it again we can start calling them Virgin Australia

 

[markis10]

Well if they do it again we can start calling them Virgin Australia

This is not the first time said aircraft has had wing surgery

Air Accidents Investigation: Airbus A340-311 Boeing 747-436, 4R-ADC G-BNLL

 

[Foreigner]

Photo from pprune of building sans wing.

That's no small damage. Elsewhere I read no one was hurt except the pilot's pride.

 

[markis10]

That's no small damage. Elsewhere I read no one was hurt except the pilot's pride.

Two airport workers in the building did have debris injuries.

 

[Foreigner]

There's sure to be a swarm of specialists converging in Jo'burg...assessors, engineers, et al. Likely to give lift to hotel occupancies/revenues, and cough. The pilot(s) will have some explaining to do.

 

[cove]

First class got to deplane first.
Now who put that building on my taxiway?
Is everyone safe and accounted for?
Getting rid of those old 747s takes some thinking !