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After engine shuts down mid-flight, SmartWings 737-800 crew continued on for another 2 hours and 20 minutes to Prague on remaining engine
On 22 August, a SmartWings Boeing 737-800 (OK-TVO) operated flight QS-1125 from Samos, Greece to Prague, Czech Republic with 170 passengers on board. The aircraft was flying at 36,000 feet over the Aegean Sea about 100nm northeast of Athens, Greece when the crew drifted the aircraft down to 24,000 feet and continued to Prague at that level for a landing without further incident about 2:20 hours later. (www.aviation24.be) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
Totally.. I really think the PIC being Director of Flight Ops had a big factor here. Instead of analyzing as a pilot - he was analyzing as a exec.
I bet you're right - too many hats and therefore lacking objectivity.
this was not a ETOPS flight where he was compelled to continue, or look for the preprogramed early landing spot. The captain gets to decide many things, some of them on the spot, but i would have had harsh words for him when we got to the ground. There were suitable runways( long enough, with service equipment, fuel and mechanics) so he had other factors to make him drive on. i disagree with him , even after reading the commments here below. I would not knowingly fly with him in command or with any airline dumb enough to engage him. I have flown with two guys like him, and he would never be the third
Looking at the flight track for this flight (https://flightaware.com/live/flight/TVS1125/history/20190822/0620Z/LGSM/LKPR), by the time they had dropped to FL24, they were 25 nm from Thessaloniki (SKG/LGTS) [two 8,000' runways]... even after continuing as they tried to restart it, they passed within minutes of the St. Paul the Apostle (OHD/LWOH), Macedonia [8,366'] and Sofia (SOF/LBSF), Bulgaria [11,811'] most likely well after they gave up hope of restarting...
it is not a question if you or i would have continued the flight, for both of us could be idiots just like the captain. It is written that if one engine is disabled, come and land immediately at the closest airport. The airline accountants are overjoyed that the flight continued, passengers and regulators less so. Future smartwings passengers are forewarned..... safety does not come first here...,..
Any engine that fails for “unknown reason” must have the suspicion of fuel contamination. That issue rarely only affects one side. It must be considered an impending issue for any other operating engines. Continuing 2+ hrs and overflying very suitable airports is unconscionable.