5 ms·

Atlas Air Boeing 747-8 from Miami International Airport Catches Fire Mid Air

39 points by haunter 3y ago

haunter 3y ago
https://avherald.com/h?article=513dd4e9&opt=0 https://avherald.com/h?article=513dd4e9&opt=0
- Kon-Peki 3y ago
  According to that site, an Airbus had a cargo fire today and two days ago another Airbus had an engine fire. Also two days ago an Airbus had a brake failure.
advisedwang 3y ago
I was curious how common fires are on flights. Searching NTSB data for the keyword "fire" on part 121 flights (ie regular scheduled air carrier flights, this excludes general aviation, private jets etc) Year | # accidents ------------------- 2023 | 6 2022 | 0 2021 | 4 2020 | 3 2019 | 5 2018 | 3 So rare but not super rare. [1] https://www.ntsb.gov/Pages/ResultsV2.aspx?queryId=262a5b32-93b5-41aa-bc79-0f6838cb507d https://www.ntsb.gov/Pages/ResultsV2.aspx?queryId=262a5b32-9...
- thelastparadise 3y ago
  > 2023 | 6 Why the sudden spike and this year only just got started?
  - pests 3y ago
    I think 6 is within average just 2022 has no incidents? You didn't list data from this year. 2023 is last year. We're just getting started in 2024.
- DylanSp 3y ago
  Much less common than when smoking was allowed on aircraft, thankfully. This article [1] about Air Canada flight 797, back in 1983, gives a good impression of how fires in aircraft bathrooms were much more common back then, which led to pilots treating fires much more casually. [1]
  - panick21_ 3y ago
    Yeah, the procedures regarding fire were also bad. 'Swissair Flight 111' changes a lot.
xcdzvyn 3y ago
This looks like (and was confirmed as) a compressor stall[0]. Not to understate the severity, but this is really something that just happens sometimes and isn't "that" bad - air stalls somewhere in the compressor, leaking unspent fuel through the back of the engine that combusts from the heat of the exhaust gas. The aircraft isn't actually on fire. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compressor_stall https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compressor_stall
- stephenr 3y ago
  ... so does that mean the engine is just less efficient, or has it essentially become a paperweight, and is worse than useless for the purposes of keeping a giant metal bird in the sky? (yes I realise these planes are designed to be able to land with one engine out, or two if you're Tom Hanks and near a freezing cold river)
  - wannacboatmovie 3y ago
    Believe a 747 can fly with 3/4 engines out.
  - inejge 3y ago
    There isn't a single reason for a compressor stall, so neither there is a single possible outcome. The pilots are generally instructed to reduce power level until the surging stops; if the damage is too great that won't help and the engine must be shut down. All passenger aircraft are certified to be fully controllable with an engine out, but having it happen is usually treated as an emergency. (With some notable exceptions like flight BA 268, look it up.)
  - thot_experiment 3y ago
    This plane is a 74, so it's got 4 engines and IIRC there was at one point a trans-atlantic flight from SFO or LA (with passengers, this one was cargo) that had a compressor stall on takeoff and they just KEPT GOING on 3 engines and made it almost all the way to Heathrow before diverting due to the less efficient fuel use. EDIT: sorry didn't notice sibling comment mentioning this exact incident, here are some links for the lazy [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Airways_Flight_268 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Airways_Flight_268 [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWBGbi8dfac https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWBGbi8dfac
untilted 3y ago
https://youtu.be/eEwC8GVDbKA?si=Dogsu39-LiJjQDA1 https://youtu.be/eEwC8GVDbKA?si=Dogsu39-LiJjQDA1
spaceman_2020 3y ago
All Boeing wanted to catch was a break. Caught fire instead.
thot_experiment 3y ago
I hope it was Kelsey of 74gear fame flying, he flies 747s for Atlas Air and has a very approachable aviation youtube channel. I'm sure this will make a fantastic video if he's at the helm.
- NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
  In case you haven't noticed, Kelsey almost never records anything while he's on the job. Kelsey's videos are produced from the comfort of his hotel room, nine times out of ten, and augmented by found video from social media sources. Kelsey and other pilots generally want to protect themselves, coworkers, and employers from liability, and they also have to, you know, fly planes, so recording videos is not something they will be doing while on-duty.
  - thedadga 3y ago
    [dead]
Havoc 3y ago
Big oofff. Even if harmless as other commenters say, the visuals on this make for bad PR and the timing couldn't be worse edit: ATC in now on yt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEwC8GVDbKA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEwC8GVDbKA
- djmips 3y ago
  big oof because human nature and lack of education / clickbait.
jeffrallen 3y ago
Blancolirio gives interesting informed speculation: https://youtu.be/PFCfSMgq3to?feature=shared https://youtu.be/PFCfSMgq3to?feature=shared

39 points by haunter 3y ago

haunter 3y ago

https://avherald.com/h?article=513dd4e9&opt=0 https://avherald.com/h?article=513dd4e9&opt=0

Kon-Peki 3y ago
According to that site, an Airbus had a cargo fire today and two days ago another Airbus had an engine fire. Also two days ago an Airbus had a brake failure.

advisedwang 3y ago

I was curious how common fires are on flights. Searching NTSB data for the keyword "fire" on part 121 flights (ie regular scheduled air carrier flights, this excludes general aviation, private jets etc) Year | # accidents ------------------- 2023 | 6 2022 | 0 2021 | 4 2020 | 3 2019 | 5 2018 | 3 So rare but not super rare. [1] https://www.ntsb.gov/Pages/ResultsV2.aspx?queryId=262a5b32-93b5-41aa-bc79-0f6838cb507d https://www.ntsb.gov/Pages/ResultsV2.aspx?queryId=262a5b32-9...

thelastparadise 3y ago
> 2023 | 6 Why the sudden spike and this year only just got started?
- pests 3y ago
  I think 6 is within average just 2022 has no incidents? You didn't list data from this year. 2023 is last year. We're just getting started in 2024.
DylanSp 3y ago
Much less common than when smoking was allowed on aircraft, thankfully. This article [1] about Air Canada flight 797, back in 1983, gives a good impression of how fires in aircraft bathrooms were much more common back then, which led to pilots treating fires much more casually. [1]
- panick21_ 3y ago
  Yeah, the procedures regarding fire were also bad. 'Swissair Flight 111' changes a lot.

xcdzvyn 3y ago

This looks like (and was confirmed as) a compressor stall[0]. Not to understate the severity, but this is really something that just happens sometimes and isn't "that" bad - air stalls somewhere in the compressor, leaking unspent fuel through the back of the engine that combusts from the heat of the exhaust gas. The aircraft isn't actually on fire. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compressor_stall https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compressor_stall

stephenr 3y ago
... so does that mean the engine is just less efficient, or has it essentially become a paperweight, and is worse than useless for the purposes of keeping a giant metal bird in the sky? (yes I realise these planes are designed to be able to land with one engine out, or two if you're Tom Hanks and near a freezing cold river)
- wannacboatmovie 3y ago
  Believe a 747 can fly with 3/4 engines out.
- inejge 3y ago
  There isn't a single reason for a compressor stall, so neither there is a single possible outcome. The pilots are generally instructed to reduce power level until the surging stops; if the damage is too great that won't help and the engine must be shut down. All passenger aircraft are certified to be fully controllable with an engine out, but having it happen is usually treated as an emergency. (With some notable exceptions like flight BA 268, look it up.)
- thot_experiment 3y ago
  This plane is a 74, so it's got 4 engines and IIRC there was at one point a trans-atlantic flight from SFO or LA (with passengers, this one was cargo) that had a compressor stall on takeoff and they just KEPT GOING on 3 engines and made it almost all the way to Heathrow before diverting due to the less efficient fuel use. EDIT: sorry didn't notice sibling comment mentioning this exact incident, here are some links for the lazy [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Airways_Flight_268 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Airways_Flight_268 [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWBGbi8dfac https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWBGbi8dfac

untilted 3y ago

https://youtu.be/eEwC8GVDbKA?si=Dogsu39-LiJjQDA1 https://youtu.be/eEwC8GVDbKA?si=Dogsu39-LiJjQDA1

spaceman_2020 3y ago

All Boeing wanted to catch was a break. Caught fire instead.

thot_experiment 3y ago

I hope it was Kelsey of 74gear fame flying, he flies 747s for Atlas Air and has a very approachable aviation youtube channel. I'm sure this will make a fantastic video if he's at the helm.

NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
In case you haven't noticed, Kelsey almost never records anything while he's on the job. Kelsey's videos are produced from the comfort of his hotel room, nine times out of ten, and augmented by found video from social media sources. Kelsey and other pilots generally want to protect themselves, coworkers, and employers from liability, and they also have to, you know, fly planes, so recording videos is not something they will be doing while on-duty.
- thedadga 3y ago
  [dead]

Havoc 3y ago

Big oofff. Even if harmless as other commenters say, the visuals on this make for bad PR and the timing couldn't be worse edit: ATC in now on yt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEwC8GVDbKA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEwC8GVDbKA

djmips 3y ago
big oof because human nature and lack of education / clickbait.

jeffrallen 3y ago

Blancolirio gives interesting informed speculation: https://youtu.be/PFCfSMgq3to?feature=shared https://youtu.be/PFCfSMgq3to?feature=shared