747 Electronics Fail, Pilot Flies Blind Across the Pacific Piggy-Backing to Another Plane
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the 284 passengers on board Quantas Flight 12–a Boeing 747-400 flying from Los Angeles to Sydney–couldn’t believe their eyes when they looked through their windows to see another Boeing from Air New Zealand flying just a few thousand feet from their aircraft. The explanation, as the commander announced, was simple: He was “flying blind” after their aircraft’s weather radar broke three hours after take off. Fortunately, as Qantas explained, the Air New Zealand flight was able to relay the data their 747 needed all the way to the other side of the Pacific:
The Air New Zealand flight was a short distance ahead and it provided the Qantas aircraft with information from its own radar system throughout the journey. It travelled on the best weather path and the Qantas flight was able to follow behind. The aircraft was vertically separated according to operating procedure at all times – there was no danger to passengers.
The Sydney Morning Herald, however, disagrees: “The Herald understands that the two aircraft were separated by only a few thousand metres as weather updates were sent across to the Qantas plane, and that Qantas passengers could see the other jet through their windows.” Knowing all the problems that Qantas have had lately and their fuzzy excuses, it won’t surprise me. [SMH]
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Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
Some of the headllines that are being printed about qantas are really getting hysterical.
Loss of weather radar although serious is hardly flying blind.
modern aircraft have numerous nav systems so they can fly in the dark automatically as req’d
They also receive weather updates via various means not to mention the humblw windscreen which enables pilots to see any thunderstorm activity which is of most importance.
Loss of windshear detection although serious is not life threatening.
Use of the air NZ aircraft to assist was good sensible airmanship and alleviated the need to turn back and delay passengers.
Please note weather radar failure is not uncommon in any airline fleet but of course the fact it was qantas it becomes another “oh my go I thought I was gonna die” story.