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Disabled SWA Jet Lands Safely at Buffalo-Niagara Intl
A Southwest Airlines B737 -700 was safely landed at Buffalo-Niagara International Airport on Sunday after a flap malfunciton forced the plane to circle for over an hour burning off its fuel load. Flight SWA1916 http://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWA1916/history/20110626/1958Z/KBWI/KBUF (www.publicbroadcasting.net) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
Must be a slow news day in Buffalo
I'm not sure how I would react if I was on this plane. Circled for an hour burning fuel, then emergency landing and then being told I had to sit on the plane for another hour while the plane is checked out.. I'm thinking I want off ASAP..
Right, Chris. You'd think cooped up inside a plane is not the most obvious choice to be if there is suspicion of a fire. Any fire likely would have been in the tires, though, I suppose. I wonder about this: "A flap which helps slow the aircraft". One flap? Which one flap slows the aircraft?
More than likely we have a "no flap" landing situation. Because of that the landing speed is increased to compensate for the lack of flaps. The brake energy requirements are increased dramically and the brakes and wheel assemblies get very hot. Fuse plugs in the wheels will melt and allow the tires for cool the wheels by the release of all that nitrogen in the tires. If that fails to happen there is a potential for the tire/wheel/brake assembly to explode. Therefore the aircraft is keep away from the gate area until the cooling takes place. That a quick and dirty explanation to a very complex situation, but it may help a few of you to understand the reasoning behind the proceedures.
Thanks, Richard, for the explanation. My post was mostly a sarcastic comment on the author's choice of words, which made it sound like there is a single flap that causes braking. There are inboard and outboard flaps on each wing. Also, what are those surfaces that raise from the top of the wing called?
There are at least two positions for the flaps that I know of. One extends the length of the wing decreasing the stall speed. The other lowers the flaps, changing the angle of attack. I assumed it was only the latter that malfunctioned. If the former, the plane would have had to come in even hotter.
There are at least two positions for the flaps that I know of. One extends the length of the wing decreasing the stall speed. The other lowers the flaps, changing the angle of attack. I assumed it was only the latter that malfunctioned. If the former, the plane would have had to come in even hotter.
Those are the spoilers that are on the top of the wing.
The "flaps" that Victor described (that extend the length of the wing) are usually called "slats". When they are extended from the wing's leading edge, they increase the wing's curvature. This increases the lift so the plane can fly at slower speeds.
The "spoilers" are located on the top of the wing and are completely different from the slats. In flight, they act as speedbrakes to slow the aircraft down. When the wheels touch the runway, they extend fully to spoil the airflow over the wing, hence their name. This drastically reduces lift and makes sure the aircraft doesn't become airborne again.
The surfaces that are usually called "flaps" extend from the trailing edge of the wing in increments up to approx. 40°. They also increase lift to allow flight at slower speeds, and increase drag to assist in slowing the aircraft as it descends. These are the flaps that usually are malfunctioning in these types of incidents.
The "spoilers" are located on the top of the wing and are completely different from the slats. In flight, they act as speedbrakes to slow the aircraft down. When the wheels touch the runway, they extend fully to spoil the airflow over the wing, hence their name. This drastically reduces lift and makes sure the aircraft doesn't become airborne again.
The surfaces that are usually called "flaps" extend from the trailing edge of the wing in increments up to approx. 40°. They also increase lift to allow flight at slower speeds, and increase drag to assist in slowing the aircraft as it descends. These are the flaps that usually are malfunctioning in these types of incidents.