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power24
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BRITONS IN JUMBO TAKE-OFF TERROR
More than 300 Britons have been stranded in the United Arab Emirates after halting a Boeing 747 during take-off because of fears of a fuel leak.
The passengers told of their terror after spotting fuel spewing over the wing of the jet as it attempted to leave Sharjah International Airport.
The incident happened during a refuelling stop-off on the Phuket Air flight from Bangkok to London's Gatwick Airport.
About 30 Britons were found an alternative flight after refusing to re-board the original plane.
Passengers claimed the jet was forced to abort take-off twice after refuelling in the desert stop-off.
According to one witness, passengers screamed and refused to sit in their seats as they demanded the pilot abandon his attempt to get the plane in the air.
Three hours later, the pilot tried for a second take-off after the plane was supposedly fixed, but passengers again spotted fuel spilling and the plane remained grounded, she said.
Jane Shackleton, 68, from Freshwater, Isle of Wight, was returning from a holiday in Phuket with her family.
She said: "It was terrifying. Everyone was on their feet shouting and screaming for the plane to stop after a man next to the window started yelling that fuel was pouring down from the wing over the engine pod.
A Phuket Air spokesman said: "One of the engines appeared to catch fire, but it was burning off excess fuel. We are trying to fix the problem to get these passengers home."
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 3:04 am on April 4, 2005
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Hermanolobo
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I shall post the reasons for the fuel venting out of the tanks when I get some more up to date information.
It is likely to be a fault rather than overfilling in Sharjah?
The Phuket Air B747 is a -200 series upgraded to a -300 series while in service with KLM. That means the aircraft carries a flight engineer unlike the B747-400 series.
HEADLINE NEWS
Phuket Air's entry into long haul market proves short-lived, as airline prepares to pull off the Bangkok to London route in 3 weeks time
Thai airline, Phuket Air is preparing to abandon its Bangkok to London service, inaugurated in the summer of 2004.
The airline is believed to have made the decision to discontinue flights, following heavy losses incurred whilst trying to operate the route.
Phuket Air's service was operated using a leased in Boeing 747-300 aircraft, and the aircraft was subject to a series of technical problems, causing a growing level of passenger discontent.
"We have received countless comments from former Phuket Air passengers, citing their serious concerns about the safety standards of this Phuket Air operation, and I am sure this is another reason for the airline deciding to cut their losses at this time" said Peter Miller of Skytrax.
"Aside from limiting their financial losses, it would seem appropriate for Phuket Air to not risk damaging their reputation further, by continuing to operate this route" added Miller.
Phuket Air have not yet released any formal information on the company's web site, and no officials were available for comment on the matter.
Quote:-
A Phuket Air spokesman said: "One of the engines appeared to catch fire, but it was burning off excess fuel. We are trying to fix the problem to get these passengers home."
JP1 is surprisingly resistant to catching fire unless it becomes a vapour or a spray. Then it goes like a torch !
Latest:-
Second Phuket Air flight delayed
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 7:07 am on April 5, 2005
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power24
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Who fancies flying Phuket air?
"Third flight abandoned by airline " - BBC - News reports
The plane had been due to fly to Bangkok
An airline which twice abandoned take-off attempts when passengers said they saw fuel gushing from a plane's wing has suffered another safety scare.
Britons flying with Phuket Air out of the United Arab Emirates on Sunday were left stranded by the halted take-offs.
On Wednesday, a separate Phuket Air Boeing 747 had to return to Gatwick three hours into a flight to Bangkok because of a hydraulics fault.
UK officials have grounded the plane until repairs have been completed.
Engine shut down
It has emerged that an engine had to be shut down while the plane was airborne.
The plane, which had taken off from the Sussex airport at 0830 BST and landed back at 1137 BST, has been grounded by the Department of Transport.
A spokeswoman said it would not be permitted to leave the UK until the damaged engine had been repaired or replaced.
An airline spokeswoman said on Wednesday: "There were 82 people on today's flight, which flew into Gatwick from Sharjah last night and had suffered a hydraulics problem.
"Though it was thought the fault had been corrected, the plane suffered the same problem this morning."
'Gushing' fuel
The passengers were transferred to London Heathrow to take alternative flights, said a British Airports Authority spokeswoman.
On Sunday, around 200 Britons travelling with Phuket Air stopped their plane when many said they saw fuel gushing out of the wing of their aircraft.
Pilots abandoned two take-off attempts as screaming passengers threatened to storm the cockpit.
The airline later said the aircraft had been overfilled with fuel by ground staff and had not been a danger to passengers.
But several passengers refused to board another of the company's planes and others were left stranded in the UAE following further problems and delays.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 2:15 am on April 7, 2005
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Hermanolobo
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Quote:-
"There's a couple of things that'll cause fuel venting on the 74 classic, one is on refuel, cold fuel into the tanks (especially the reserves that will be full) will expand in the heat and vent, another is someone pulling the vol fill fuse (and forgetting to refit it  ) to get round a tank shutting off early, and the other is a broken vent float valve in one of the tanks allowing fuel into the vent system and from there into the surge tank and overboard."
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"This was bound to happen.
We used to operate an excellent service to Phuket, but no it was too expensive!
So allot of our work went to Phuket Air and their less than kosher management/owners. Our PAX were then trundling off half way around the world with guys whom you can see hem stitching the ILS at LGW on a calm cavok day. And evidently a flight crew whom are not able to gain the confidence of the passengers to assure them that the fuel was just venting from the wing tip surge tanks!
You pay for what you get, looking forward to going back to Phuket next year"
Quote from 'UV':-
"Allow me to tell you of my Flights with Phuket Air!!
Aircraft arrived 4 hours late at LGW, but departed only 1 hour late.
Some problem after push back. Travelling Spanner came down to look at something out of the other side followed shortly by two pilots. Door opened.
Aircraft continued to taxi slowly with door open. Lots of noise, looking and chin wagging. Door eventually closed at the holding point and take off commenced!
Climbed out towards Manston at numerous different power settings and never felt in balance. Flaps raised some distance past Manston!
All night long (10 hours) flying spanner walked around the cabin with a torch looking in every toilet and along the ducting near the cabin bins!
Arrived BKK and passed numerous PA aircraft in canabialised states!
Home trip. Cancelled. Received a text message saying ring BKK!
Went home a day early.
Overhead reading lights flashed incessently! Couldnt be controlled!
Changed seats, then no audio! Changed again.
Of all the seats I sat in (6) NONE of the seat belts were correctly installed. All buckled ends mounted upside down...
Never Again!!!"
ATPL Holder, professional pilot.
UV
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"To add to their week of woe Phuket's HS-VAN tried departing LGW this morning and has now returned about an hour later with one engine out. The week just gets better for them doesn't it!"
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"And another one!
Aircraft makes emergency landing after hydraulics failure
BANGKOK, March 18, (TNA) – Ninety passengers were left stranded at Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport today when a Phuket Air aircraft bound for the southern resort island was forced to make an emergency landing 15 minutes after takeoff.
Captain Surin Songkhram, the craft’s pilot, made the decision to make an emergency landing after discovering a fault in the hydraulic system of the craft’s wings.
The airline said that it was laying on a special flight to transport the stranded passengers to Phuket this evening.
This morning’s flight to Phuket, which was initially due to take off at 10.50 hrs, had already been delayed several times as engineers tried to fix the fault. It eventually left Don Muang at 14.30, returning just 15 minutes later"
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"Slightly off topic (but related nonetheless) : a few years ago, my brother was on a Thai Airways flight from BKK to SIN (if I recall correctly), a 737 EFIS. The take-off run was aborted, and the only "explanation" given by the flight crew was "sorry, engine problem"!
Then, without further ado (not even the usual brake-cooling delay), the aircraft taxied back to the threshold and attempted another take-off - this one successful.
My brother told me that while the Thai nationals onboard seemed totally oblivious to the safety implications, the foreigners (including himself, a VERY experienced and seasoned short- and long-haul traveller) looked quite aghast!
Bottom line: he hasn't flown on Thai Airways since.
Apparently, not only CRM but also PAX information seems to have a different meaning in the Far East..."
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 5:12 am on April 8, 2005
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Repeat Offender
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I have often wondered why aircraft are not fitted with external cameras. Even at aerospace prices, they could pay for themselves.
I have seen many programmes concerning air crashes where the ability of the pilot to see the airframe would have been useful.
Engines on fire, jammed undercarriages that contradict the cabin indicators, fuel leaks, jammed rudders, ice.....
So, why not ?
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Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 5:35 pm on April 8, 2005
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Hermanolobo
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I made this suggestion in certain circles in 1979 !
It has been suggested by others for the last 20 years !
Why nothing has been done I haven't a clue ?
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 6:54 am on April 10, 2005
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Repeat Offender
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Hermanolobo,
There go my dreams of life-long royalties from Boeing. One always hopes that the aircraft manufacturers are striving to achieve the maximum in safety, but it seems that they only respond to the errors and limitations that become public. Perhaps external cameras are just an accident or two away.
RO
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Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 11:23 am on April 10, 2005
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sanook269
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Actually, it has been done on a limited basis. The first time I saw this was several years ago on a JAL Boeing 747, which was equiped with two cameras both mount on the underside of the fuselage. Some of the newer aircraft have a video camera mounted high in the vertical stabilizer (rudder) looking down and forward giving the pilot a view of the fuselage, and another underneath so he can see what is out of his vision but in his path. On a A340 both of these images are displayed on a CRT screen while the plane taxies to the runway. I'm sure Boeing does the same thing. It is not so much what the manufacturer offers, but what the airlines order. I don't know about airbus, but Boeing doesn't start to build an airplane until they have a firm order in hand, and then it is built, within reason, to the buyer's specifications. Whatever the buyer wants, the buyer gets, IF he has the money to pay for it. Follow the money. 
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 12:07 pm on April 10, 2005
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Repeat Offender
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Sanook,
Thanks for the information. I reckon that I should blame the greedy airlines, then.
In one incident, a pilot was forced to fly over the control tower so that they could tell him if the undercarriage was down or not. I seems odd that a modern aircraft should have such a foible.
It does not fill me with confidence when a member of the cabin crew is sent to take look out of the window to see if an engine is on fire !
RO
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 2:23 pm on April 10, 2005
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