Costa Rica DHL accident.

[Quickstatus]

That Yellow DHL 757 in the middle of the picture (in background) landed at SJO (Costa Rica) after returning to airport due to “hydraulic issues” - and is about to skid off the runway, and break in two. Also here

But what is QF doing in Costa Rica?

 

[Franky]

View attachment 274548

That Yellow DHL 757 in the middle of the picture (in background) landed at SJO (Costa Rica) after returning to airport due to “hydraulic issues” - but is about to skid off the runway, and break in two. Also here

But what is QF doing in Costa Rica?

Good question, well asked...

 

[UP4014]

Noted just now this DHL accident in Costa Rica. Everyone walked away but a bumpy ride.

Cargo plane breaks in half during emergency landing in Costa Rica

A cargo jet slides off a runway and breaks in half during an emergency landing at an international airport in Costa Rica.

www.abc.net.au

 

[kamchatsky]

The video

 

[Quickstatus]

video

But see above for the important question out of that video

 

[levelnine]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1512159179896672256

 

[Quickstatus]

Not sure ex AA
Alliance mentions acquiring Embraers
Another site mentions the aircraft came/coming from Copa (CM)

 

[jase05]

Not sure ex AA
Alliance mentions acquiring Embraers
Another site mentions the aircraft came/coming from Copa (CM)

I was of the understanding that some of the E190’s were to be painted in Costa Rica

 

[Mwenenzi]

From The Aviation Herald

Nothing scandalous about COOPESA henry. They are very much part of our global industry and have been around for 50+ years. Major airplane lessors use them for end of lease work, reconfigurations etc and plenty of airlines go there for regular FAA/EASA certified maintenance. Many B737 Passenger-to-freighter conversions have been carried out there per the PEMCO STC.

 

[jb747]

Interesting accident. They supposedly had a left hydraulics failure, but that doesn’t explain the outcome.

 

[serfty]

Interesting accident. They supposedly had a left hydraulics failure, but that doesn’t explain the outcome.

Presumably they would have still been quite heavy given they had only flown maybe 15% of their planned route distance.

Luis Miranda, deputy director of civil aviation for Costa Rica, said the plane had gone only about 55 kilometres from the airport when it requested permission to turn back from its planned flight to Guatemala City.

 

[TheInsider]

Possibly a new Qlink route to SJO!

Wonder what the routing would be to get there

Obviously I know they aren't, but wondering what it's doing up there.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1512597384349593608

 

[RSD]

Must admit that I saw the QF tail too and went Huh?

 

[eastwest101]

Interesting accident. They supposedly had a left hydraulics failure, but that doesn’t explain the outcome.

Heavy and no mention of dumping fuel so unknown, and flaps look evenly deployed on both sides upon landing, is this one of those peculiarity things with the B757 where the front nose gear dont come out fully extended, and get stuck sideways? Trying to work out if that ground loop at the end was genuine uncontrollable event or a deliberate attempt to avoid leaving the airfield? No post impact fire either, which is surprising given the amount of damage to the aircraft.

 

[AisleSeat]

A quick search shows HNL - MAJ - BNE (Probably SJO-HNL)

N961UW Flight Tracking and History - FlightAware

Track N961UW flight from Amata Kabua Intl to Brisbane

flightaware.com

This is going off that this particular aircraft was recently spotted in SJO in Feb (Hard to see the reg number on the one in the photo above, so may be different)

N961UW QantasLink Embraer ERJ-190AR (ERJ-190-100 IGW)

N961UW QantasLink Embraer ERJ-190AR (ERJ-190-100 IGW) photographed at San Jose - Juan Santamaria (SJO / MROC) by Alonso Cisneros

www.planespotters.net

 

[NM]

Heavy and no mention of dumping fuel so unknown, and flaps look evenly deployed on both sides upon landing, is this one of those peculiarity things with the B757 where the front nose gear dont come out fully extended, and get stuck sideways? Trying to work out if that ground loop at the end was genuine uncontrollable event or a deliberate attempt to avoid leaving the airfield? No post impact fire either, which is surprising given the amount of damage to the aircraft.

Does a 757 have the ability to dump fuel?

 

[eastwest101]

Your are right, the answer is no:

A Boeing 757 has no fuel-dump capability as its maximum landing weight is similar to the maximum take-off weight.

 

[jb747]

Does a 757 have the ability to dump fuel?

I'd expect it to be the same as the 767. A few will, most won't.

A Boeing 757 has no fuel-dump capability as its maximum landing weight is similar to the maximum take-off weight.

Interesting logic. You don't necessarily dump to maximum landing weight. You dump until you reach an acceptable weight for whatever your situation. Also worth noting that maximum landing weight, isn't the maximum weight at which you can land.

Anyway, looking carefully at the video, and assuming the 757 systems are more or less those of the 767 (I have an endorsement on the 757, but have never set foot on one). The gear doors are open, so that means the hydraulic failure is the centre system. The flaps are also not fully extended. Landing with C hydraulic loss has a requirement to use flap 20 (instead of 30), and even worse, to use Vref 30, plus 20 knots.

The attachment is the FCOM procedure for loss of C system.

 

[Quickstatus]

Vref 30, plus 20 knots

How does this compare to Vref20?
…
The video showed some smoke toward the end of the roll suggesting maybe brakes locking up. The vid also suggests that both main undercarriages had smoke so maybe both sides locked up the brakes (which doesn’t explain why the aircraft spun around) .
How does hydraulic failure affect braking?

 

[jb747]

How does this compare to Vref20?
…
The video showed some smoke toward the end of the roll suggesting maybe brakes locking up. The vid also suggests that both main undercarriages had smoke so maybe both sides locked up the brakes (which doesn’t explain why the aircraft spun around) .
How does hydraulic failure affect braking?

The 767 is 18 years ago, so I had to hunt a bit to find the answers....

Vref 30, plus 20, is approximately equal to Vref 20 +10. Flap 20 is not a normal landing flap though (only 25 and 30). The Vref numbers exist because it was used in a number of abnormal configurations, including single engine and C hydraulics out. As an aside, it was used in the single engine case as it had less drag. In the two engine case (i.e. C hydraulics) it was actually a bit of a pain, as the combination of lots of power and not much drag, made speed control a bit more difficult than normal.

The checklist I linked to above tells you all you ever wanted to know. But, basically, it should have no effect on braking. The brakes are always supported by more than one hydraulic system. Even a multiple loss, when you end up on the accumulators, shouldn't have too much effect. I landed the 767 twice with C failures, and the only issue was loss of the nose gear steering, and that only stopped you from taxying...it was no problem on the landing roll.