............................and yes I do know how to spell "Ilyushin"
IL62 awaiting being broken up
What happens when you combine a 747-400 at full power and an Aeroflot 11-62 on a crowded airport ramp? Then to this add a couple of freight containers, an airport terminal, two parked airport vehicles and a U turn! Well if you had guessed chaos you are right on the money. The scene of this event is Anchorage International Airport in Alaska on November 11 last year, and yes, this is a true story. Mistakenly an Asiana 747-400 pulled into the wrong parking bay, but instead of (as convention would suggest) requesting a tug for pushback, the crew decided to carry out a U turn instead! Unfortunately an Aeroflot 11-62 with passengers on board was parked in the adjacent parking bay, in the path of the 400's unconventional turn. As the 747-400 proceeded, its number one engine collided with the starboard wing of the Ilytishin, tearing the engine cowling and fuel lines open, allowing a major fuel discharge. As if seemingly oblivious to this damage, the Asiana crew reached for the throttles and added more power, but due to the ice on the ramp, put the 747-400 into a skid which in turn saw the aircraft demolish two Evergreen ground vehicles, sending the occupants fleeing. Simultaneously the port wingtip of the 747-400 sliced into the vertical stabiliser of the Ilytishin gouging several metres into it; not surprisingly the 747 came to a halt, and to overcome this 'minor' obstacle, yet more power was added. But the 747-400 did not budge. In a last ditch attempt to free the grips of the Ilytishin, the Asiana jumbo reached takeoff thrust! As a result several freight containers located behind the aircraft were sent flying into the terminal building smashing windows and causing considerable damage. It was only due to the frantic efforts of the groundcrew that the chaos ended, finally waving frantically to the pilots to shut down. Luckily nobody was seriously injured or killed during the debacle, but the question has to be asked: What were the Asiana pilots thinking about? For one it is certainly not normal practice for a 747-400 to attempt a U turn in a parking bay, but what about going to takeoff power in the terminal area? How far away from these guys do ordinary people have stay to be safe? It took all day to mop up the mess and try to separate the aircraft, the salvage team resorting to cutting off the last six metres of the 747-400's port wingtip in order to do so. Certainly this was an experience the passengers and groundcrew will never forget! Copyright � Australian Aviation 1999
