Worth the read?
Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 4:54 am
It is an interesting event, but is it a good PS?
I acknowledged our departure clearance from Newark Liberty Tower as the Captain set the MD80 jetliner’s throttles for takeoff. The jet rolled down Runway 09 Left on its takeoff roll transporting the New Jersey Devils to an away game in Toronto. We accelerated to rotation speed and I made the procedural callout V1/rotate. The V1 part of the call indicated to the pilot operating the controls that the aircraft is past the point where we are assured we can stop in the remaining runway if the takeoff were aborted. The rotate part of the call is the queue to pull back on the controls lifting the aircraft into flight. The Captain pulled back on the controls but the nose of the aircraft did not rise. He reached full control deflection as the plane was moving 160 miles per hour and accelerating down the runway. Something was very wrong.
The Captain had the controls positioned correctly but they weren’t working. He slammed the throttles to idle and yelled abort abort abort. This meant he was going to try and stop the aircraft in the remaining runway instead of taking off. My life became very busy. I immediately called Newark Tower on the radio and told them we had an emergency and were aborting. This would keep another aircraft from landing on us and get the rescue teams rolling in case we went off the end of the runway. I then looked outside and started calling out remaining distance and our speed. “6000-150, 5000-140, 4000-130.” Newark Tower is radioing for more information but I don’t have time to respond. “3000-110., 2000-80” The aircraft stopped a thousand feet from the end of the runway.
Over the PA, I told the passengers and flight attendants to remain seated. I checked the temperature of the brakes. They were at 300 degrees and rising. I informed the Captain of the rising brake temperature. He stated that we would evacuate if they rose above 400 degrees. Above that temperature the danger of the plane catching on fire is greater than the dangers of evacuating passengers from an aircraft in the dark.
I then called the control tower and informed them that we had stopped and wanted the firefighters to continue their response and informed them of the possibility of the brakes causing a fire and that we may have to evacuate. I informed the passengers that we had a mechanical issue on takeoff and we would give them more information as it became available. The Captain informed the flight attendants what had happened using our direct communications line with them.
After fifteen minutes the brakes began to cool and the danger had passed. I contacted the control tower. I informed them that we no longer needed the firefighters and that we would like to move the aircraft back to the hangar. As the captain taxied the plane I called the airlines operation center and informed them of what happened and that they would need to make alternate plans to get the Devils to Toronto.
During the event there was no time to reflect on what had happened. After we had taken care of our passengers and signed the aircraft over to maintenance there was nothing but time. We spent much of that time explaining what had happened to our airlines operations and our union safety representatives and legal department. After hours of explaining every detail and satiating everyone’s curiosity I tried to sleep. I was exhausted but sleep would not come. My thoughts hung on how close we had come to death. The other runways at Newark Liberty are all shorter and we would have gone off the end had we been on any of them. Had we been taking off from LaGuardia we would have wound up in Flushing Bay. I thought about why I even flew for an airline. I had planned on going to law school after my undergraduate education but serving my country and the allure of flying Air Force jets had pulled me away from that goal. Flying military aircraft had been a dream of mine since I was very young but I had certainly never fantasized about flying for the airlines. Was the money worth the time away from my family? I questioned my career path and if I was too old to pursue another.
The next day the mechanics showed us a small screw that had caused our flight controls to jam. The aircraft had been incapable of flying. We received the Airline Pilot Association’s highest award for our handling of the emergency. I was at the top of my career but the doubts remained.
Over the following years I continued to question my career path. In 2008 the pilots employed by my airline were furloughed and replaced with less expensive labor. I decided that I no longer wanted to fly commercially. I took a job with a military contractor that would pay my bills. I considered going back to school but couldn’t fund it at the time. Earlier this year that changed; I was informed the Post 911 GI Bill had changed and my time activated with the Air National Guard would now qualify me for the benefit. While it has been a circuitous route, I believe I am exactly where I have always wanted to be.
I acknowledged our departure clearance from Newark Liberty Tower as the Captain set the MD80 jetliner’s throttles for takeoff. The jet rolled down Runway 09 Left on its takeoff roll transporting the New Jersey Devils to an away game in Toronto. We accelerated to rotation speed and I made the procedural callout V1/rotate. The V1 part of the call indicated to the pilot operating the controls that the aircraft is past the point where we are assured we can stop in the remaining runway if the takeoff were aborted. The rotate part of the call is the queue to pull back on the controls lifting the aircraft into flight. The Captain pulled back on the controls but the nose of the aircraft did not rise. He reached full control deflection as the plane was moving 160 miles per hour and accelerating down the runway. Something was very wrong.
The Captain had the controls positioned correctly but they weren’t working. He slammed the throttles to idle and yelled abort abort abort. This meant he was going to try and stop the aircraft in the remaining runway instead of taking off. My life became very busy. I immediately called Newark Tower on the radio and told them we had an emergency and were aborting. This would keep another aircraft from landing on us and get the rescue teams rolling in case we went off the end of the runway. I then looked outside and started calling out remaining distance and our speed. “6000-150, 5000-140, 4000-130.” Newark Tower is radioing for more information but I don’t have time to respond. “3000-110., 2000-80” The aircraft stopped a thousand feet from the end of the runway.
Over the PA, I told the passengers and flight attendants to remain seated. I checked the temperature of the brakes. They were at 300 degrees and rising. I informed the Captain of the rising brake temperature. He stated that we would evacuate if they rose above 400 degrees. Above that temperature the danger of the plane catching on fire is greater than the dangers of evacuating passengers from an aircraft in the dark.
I then called the control tower and informed them that we had stopped and wanted the firefighters to continue their response and informed them of the possibility of the brakes causing a fire and that we may have to evacuate. I informed the passengers that we had a mechanical issue on takeoff and we would give them more information as it became available. The Captain informed the flight attendants what had happened using our direct communications line with them.
After fifteen minutes the brakes began to cool and the danger had passed. I contacted the control tower. I informed them that we no longer needed the firefighters and that we would like to move the aircraft back to the hangar. As the captain taxied the plane I called the airlines operation center and informed them of what happened and that they would need to make alternate plans to get the Devils to Toronto.
During the event there was no time to reflect on what had happened. After we had taken care of our passengers and signed the aircraft over to maintenance there was nothing but time. We spent much of that time explaining what had happened to our airlines operations and our union safety representatives and legal department. After hours of explaining every detail and satiating everyone’s curiosity I tried to sleep. I was exhausted but sleep would not come. My thoughts hung on how close we had come to death. The other runways at Newark Liberty are all shorter and we would have gone off the end had we been on any of them. Had we been taking off from LaGuardia we would have wound up in Flushing Bay. I thought about why I even flew for an airline. I had planned on going to law school after my undergraduate education but serving my country and the allure of flying Air Force jets had pulled me away from that goal. Flying military aircraft had been a dream of mine since I was very young but I had certainly never fantasized about flying for the airlines. Was the money worth the time away from my family? I questioned my career path and if I was too old to pursue another.
The next day the mechanics showed us a small screw that had caused our flight controls to jam. The aircraft had been incapable of flying. We received the Airline Pilot Association’s highest award for our handling of the emergency. I was at the top of my career but the doubts remained.
Over the following years I continued to question my career path. In 2008 the pilots employed by my airline were furloughed and replaced with less expensive labor. I decided that I no longer wanted to fly commercially. I took a job with a military contractor that would pay my bills. I considered going back to school but couldn’t fund it at the time. Earlier this year that changed; I was informed the Post 911 GI Bill had changed and my time activated with the Air National Guard would now qualify me for the benefit. While it has been a circuitous route, I believe I am exactly where I have always wanted to be.
