Plane passengers safe after landing drama

Press, 6 May 1983, Page 1

Plane passengers safe after landing drama

Passengers slid to safety down emergency chutes from a crippled Mount Cook Line aircraft after a landing drama at Christchurch Airport yesterday. Eleven fire-fighting vehicles and six ambulances stood by as the Hawker Siddeley 748 with 53 people aboard touched down gingerly with an unlocked nose-wheel at 2.02 p.m.

All passengers and the crew of four safely left the twin-engine, turbo-prop aircraft within two minutes of its rolling to a stop at the end of the north-west runway.

It marked the end of a flight many of the passengers will not forget in a “NMI” left Auckland at 8 a.m., bound for Rotorua and Christchurch where it was scheduled to arrive at 11.10 a.m. However, bad weather at Rotorua forced Captain John Thompson and First Officer Warren Dwight to divert to Tauranga where Rotorua passengers either joined or left the flight, by bus.

A further unscheduled stop had to be made at

Palmerston North for fuel because none was available at Tauranga. Eventually, at 11.42 a.m., NMI took off from Palmerston North with 600 gallons in its tanks on the final leg to Christchurch. Then the real trouble began. When Captain Thompson attempted to retract the landing gear the nose-wheel became jammed. All attempts to free it failed; the wheel remained down in an “unlocked” position. The crew realised there was a danger of the wheel collapsing on landing.

“We had a choice of returning to Palmerston North or carrying on to Christchurch,” said Captain Thompson later. “I considered it would be wiser to proceed to Christchurch because of the extensive emergency facilities available there.”

Captain Thompson was also anxious about the large amount of fuel on board: unlike modern jet airliners, the Hawker Siddeley cannot jettison unwanted fuel.

Travelling at reduced speed to avoid wind damage to the nose-wheel, the aircraft reached Christchurch at 1.15 p.m. and made two prearranged low-level passes to allow company

engineers to assess the position, and condition, of the nose-wheel.

The men on the ground confirmed the worst fears of the crew: the wheel appeared to be incorrectly positioned for a safe landing.

Captain Thompson was instructed by the air traffic controller to form a holding pattern over New Brighton to allow emergency fire and ambulance services to get to the . airport. Meanwhile, aboard the circling 748, the flight purser, Mr Bruce Taylor, and steward, Mr Malcolm Hazeldine, prepared passengers for their pending emergency landing and speedy removal They were shown how to brace themselves; they were told to leave all their carry-on baggage behind.

“Everyone was marvellous; there was no sign of ac,” said Mr John :ely, editor of “Golden Times,” was who was travelling with his wife.

However, some passengers were air sick, brought on by a combination of anxiety and north-west turbulence.

Shortly before 2 p.m., Captain Thompson obtained clearance to make an approach for runway 29.

The chief executive of the Mount Cook Group, Mr P. S. Phillips, and the airline’s flight operations manager, Captain Alistair McLeod, watched anxiously from the control tower.

As the aircraft lined up for its final approach, a stiff 25-knot noriwester “straight on the nose” allowed Captain Thompson to make a slower than usual approach. Ten seconds from touchdown the passengers were' ordered to "brace for impact.” “From the back you couldn’t see a head above the seats anywhere, ’Ll Mr Taylor recalled.

Moments later Captain Thompson greased the main landing gear on to the runway at 61 knots and held back the control column to keep the nose high for as long as possible. When the nose-wheel eventually touched the runway, passengers heard a light rumbling noise and felt a slight shimmy.

The aircraft rolled to a stop at the end of the runway and everyone made a hurried exit down the emergency chutes, There was no time for cheering; at least not until everyone had reached the safety of a waiting bus. It was then that the crew were loudly applauded.

Praise was also heaped Kthe crew by senior it Cook executives.

“We. are very proud of them,”' said Captain McLeod. "They all did an extremely competent and professional job.” Mr Phillips extended his praise to the airport authority for the efficient way the emergency had been handled.

The company will hold an immediate inquiry into the incident and report its findings to the Civil Aviation Division of the Ministry of Transport The aircraft, MCA, which was ferried new from the Hawker Siddeley factory in Britain to New Zealand by Captain McLeod and Captain Thompson in 1973, was towed clear of the runway about 5 p.m. Engineers worked all last nightSto find the cause of the problem.