British Airways flight overshoots runway at Durban, closes airport

[tgh]

British Airways flight overshoots runway at Durban, closes airport

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Flight BA/MN6203 operated by Comair, a British Airways franchisee, overshot the runway at Durban International Airport, South Africa, on Wednesday during bad weather causing the airport to close.
No major injuries were reported, with all 87 passengers and six crew members accounted for. All on board were given a medical check up and counselling.
Arriving late from Johannesburg at 11:00, Comair reported that the Boeing 737-300 slid on the runway when it hit a wet patch causing it to ‘slip’ into the grass, and in the process breaking off the landing gear on the left side.
Airports Company of South Africa then moved quickly to douse the plane in foam and shut down the airport and runway.
All South African domestic British Airways flights are flown by Comair, who is partially owned by BA and flies in the BA insignia and brand.
Durban International Airport re-opened for operations later in the afternoon on Wednesday.

[docjames]

I need one of those "this thread is useless without pics" emoticons.......

[Maca44]

I need one of those "this thread is useless without pics" emoticons.......

Here is a photo.. British Airways flight skids off runway in Africa

[docjames]

Thanks!!

Interesting that there's no marks on the grass, and the plane is facing down the runway (presumably it landed towards where the photo was taken (?did it spin around - but still no skid marks?).

There seems a bit more to this story than there first appears.

[markis10]

Simple ground loop, no real mystery! The issue was lack of traction owing to aquaplanning rather than "skidding" whick would explain the lack of marks I suspect.

[docjames]

Simple ground loop, no real mystery! The issue was lack of traction owing to aquaplanning rather than "skidding" whick would explain the lack of marks I suspect.

Sorry, i meant on the grass, not the tarmac? Surely you can drop a 737 onto runway verge grass and not leave a dent (especially if wet!)

[markis10]

The runway often includes a grassed area that is considered part of the runway and is compacted to provide a similar strength to the adjacent sealed area, so its likely that nothing may show, although the angle of the photo may also be hiding such marks!

[NM]

Its impossible to tell from that photo just which way the runway goes and which way the aircraft was moving when it left the black stuff. Its possible the runway is right to left on the picture with a taxiway heading in the direction the aircraft is now facing. And perhaps in an effort to turn onto the taxiway at too much speed, the aircraft slid sideways just off the end of the hard stuff onto the soft stuff. Either way, it was appear it was not moving very fast when it got stuck - albeit with the loss of the left main undercarriage.