"Vodka Burner" has a tough take-off

[Serenity]

I LOVE the background commentary on this one!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWtdtuspnoM&NR=1

[Serenity]

China has problems too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XbINavHtiA&feature=related

[Getback]

Didn't sound like either was under full power or even near it.

[AWwrgwy]

China has problems too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XbINavHtiA&feature=related

Bugs clogged speed-measuring tubes of trouble-hit China Airlines jet TOKYO, Oct. 9 Kyodo - Insects were found lodged in tubes used to measure the airspeed of a China Airlines jetliner that sustained a speedometer defect last week, according to a recent inspection by the Taipei-based company. Last Friday, the Boeing 737-800 aircraft failed to take off properly and hit a runway light as it was leaving Saga airport in Saga Prefecture for Taiwan. It returned to Saga shortly after takeoff, after the pilot and copilot discovered the readings on their speedometers differed. The company inspection showed that the so-called pitot tubes installed in the nose section of the plane were clogged with bugs and apparently indicated incorrect speeds at the time of incident, leading the pilots to fail to carry out appropriate operations. According to a mechanic of a Japanese airline company, the tubes are usually covered by a lid that prevents foreign substances from entering the tubes. If the tubes become frozen or clogged, they may not be able to perform and and could cause an incident, the mechanic said. The Japanese Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry is now examining how the bugs became lodged in the tubes. Most aircraft are equipped with three metallic pitot tubes whose inside diameters are around 6 millimeters. They are designed to measure air pressure gaps among the tubes, and thus determine the plane's speed and altitude. China Airlines has completed repairs of the pitot tubes and other parts of the Boeing 737-800 and plans to have it take off again on Wednesday to return to Taiwan. The incident took place after a 77-centimeter crack was found at the bottom of the tail unit of the same airplane when it arrived at Saga airport on Sept. 21. The Boeing 737-800 is the same model as the China Airlines plane that exploded at Naha airport in Okinawa Prefecture on Aug. 20

wrongway

[allaire]

Depending on the model it could have a max payload that I could find of 52,000kg and enough fuel for a 11 hour flight.  It's surprising that it got off the ground in that distance.  Loved the commentary as well.

[RTHolmes]

"We have Smirnoff!" 

[Dinan]

"so-called pitot tubes"   
 

[crazyivan]

gonna have to go faster then that captain .   sheet!

[AKHog]

The company inspection showed that the so-called pitot tubes installed in the nose section of the plane were clogged with bugs and apparently indicated incorrect speeds at the time of incident, leading the pilots to fail to carry out appropriate operations.

That statement is not at all correct. "Carrying out appropriate operations" would be realizing you have an airspeed malfunction and aborting the take off roll. If the plane would have crashed, it would have eventually been pilot error. I bet the pilots still get in trouble for this even though there was no crash. You should never crash a plane or even come close because of one single instrument fails, especially as an IFR pilot (which these guys obviously were).

Getting a pitot tube clogged isn't that uncommon either. I had it happen back east on short final in a Piper Arrow. The airspeed dropped from 85 to 40 to about 20 in a matter of 5 seconds. At first it was alarming until your brain has a few seconds to work it out and you realize you have an instrument failure, then its no big deal.

[Wayout]

China has problems too!

It was hard to see but it looked like he didn't have his flaps down. 

[Dinan]

It was hard to see but it looked like he didn't have his flaps down. 

Looks like they had them at 10 degrees to me.