Emirates A380 diverts to NZ airforce base

[flydoc]

Media report quotes a NZAF officer saying they had 20 min warning of the commercial aircraft landing at Ohakea base after a Singapore Airlines plane 'had a problem taking off' from Auckland Airport yesterday

No Cookies | NT News

 

[NZflygirl]

Media report quotes a NZAF officer saying they had 20 min warning of the commercial aircraft landing at Ohakea base after a Singapore Airlines plane 'had a problem taking off' from Auckland Airport yesterday

No Cookies | NT News

I had always thought Chc was the diversion runway but very cool to know there is an alternative to the alternative!

 

[Guvner]

Flightradar shows the path.

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/flights/ek406/#c4cc68d

 

[futaris]

Early flight from RNZAF Base Ohakea too at 4:28AM.

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/a6-eef#c4d4cd5

 

[JohnPhelan]

Did the SQ aircraft actually break down on the runway? Wondering why an SQ aircraft with a problem necessitated an EK aircraft to divert.

 

[docjames]

I'd assume CHC is the preferred in the event of poor weather being the cause of the diversion - likely this Ohakea airfield would be suffering the same weather as AKL.

 

[astrosly]

According to a couple of news reports the SQ A380 might have had a faulty nose wheel as there was reports of smoke and burning rubber smell and the plane was "wobbling" before the take off was aborted.
Singapore Airlines plane departs after eight-hour delay on Auckland Airport tarmac - Business - NZ Herald News

 

[kpc]

According to a couple of news reports the SQ A380 might have had a faulty nose wheel as there was reports of smoke and burning rubber smell and the plane was "wobbling" before the take off was aborted.
Singapore Airlines plane departs after eight-hour delay on Auckland Airport tarmac - Business - NZ Herald News

Sounds like the poor pax spent the 8 hour delay ONBOARD!!

 

[bwhouse]

Sounds like the poor pax spent the 8 hour delay ONBOARD!!

Wonder how many bottles of Krug they went through in Suites during the 8 hour delay

 

[jb747]

I had always thought Chc was the diversion runway but very cool to know there is an alternative to the alternative!

I very much doubt that the crew of the 380 realised that Ohakea was any sort of option until they actually needed it. CHC is only viable if you actually have the fuel to go there. NZ requirement is an alternate from ToD, so if that was his fuel loading then I'd expect Christchurch was certainly unavailable after completing a couple of very low level holding patterns. In the worst case, any bit of runway of 6,000' will do.

 

[jb747]

Did the SQ aircraft actually break down on the runway? Wondering why an SQ aircraft with a problem necessitated an EK aircraft to divert.

Apparently the SQ aircraft trampled the runway lights on both sides of the runway, and laid out a fair bit of debris.

I also don't think it broke down at all. Looked like an 'own goal' to me.

 

[Quickstatus]

4 engines vs a nose wheel? I think nose wheel lose

Seems like assymetric thrust condition?

Don't the automatics control individual engine thrust to ensure symmetric conditions during the take off roll?

 

[jb747]

4 engines vs a nose wheel? I think nose wheel lose

Seems like assymetric thrust condition?

Don't the automatics control individual engine thrust to ensure symmetric conditions during the take off roll?

What happens is that you can get very uneven acceleration from low power settings. Normally you push the power to 25-30%, wait for them all to stabilise, and then straight to FLEX (or TO/GA). If you haven't let them all match up, and especially if you've used asymmetric power to help during turns taxiing, the acceleration rates can vary dramatically. All of this occurs (including the swing), at well less than take off power.

The FACECs in the 747 keep the engine acceleration matched to the slowest engine, but they don't in the 380. They do have a couple of other limiting functions during take off (which is why the power increase seems to have another stage), but they won't help if you shove the levers up too soon.

The nose gear hasn't got the slightest chance of controlling the swing. As an aside, probably the hardest of all of the engine failure (on take off) scenarios, is the failure that happens on an outboard engine at very low speed, as they pass through about 80%. Slamming the levers shut, full rudder, and max differential braking...and you'll still get very close to the edge. No room at all for any delay.