Gulf Air Airbus Crash

[Just_Me!]

A Gulf Air Airbus A320 said to be carrying about 140 passengers has crashed into the Persian Gulf shortly after take-off.
There is some confusion as to whether the plane was bound for Cairo as first reported.



Bahrain state television has reported that a fire engulfed one of the plane's engines.

A Gulf Air official quoted by Reuters news agency said there were 140 passengers on board.

Bahraini Information Ministry officials also confirmed the crash, but did not give further details.

[Larry_J]

read on BBC website:

"
Bodies recovered from Gulf Air crash

Bodies are reported to have been recovered from the wreckage of a Gulf Air jet which crashed into the Gulf off Bahrain on Wednesday with 143 passengers and crew on board.
Bahraini Information Ministry official Said Al-Bably said the plane, an Airbus A320, crashed shortly before arriving in Bahrain from Cairo after one of its engines caught fire.

Mr Bably said a major rescue operation was underway. "There is no information on survivours," he said.

Later the Bahraini Government said bodies had been recovered at the scene.

Helicopters were seen flying towards the crash site, and scores of ambulances headed towards the airport.

The plane, flight GF072, was carrying 135 passengers and eight crew.

The BBC's correspondent in Cairo, Caroline Hawley, says airport officials told her the plane left Cairo at 1625 local time (1325 GMT).

Gulf Air is jointly owned by the Gulf states of Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
"

Larry

[Kimberley]

Pretty bad flying season...

It's really heartbreaking http://www.crewstart.com/ubb/images/icons/frown.gif

[flightdeck]

does anybody know why so much children were on board?? http://www.crewstart.com/ubb/images/icons/frown.gif

[RiverCity]

We lost a lot of local high school students from this area in TWA 800. It would be interesting, from a human standpoint, to trace (in broad terms) who was on a flight and why they were there. It puts more of a human face on the crash and less on "143 confirmed dead in a crash today somewhere on the other side of the planet."

I dislike numbers; I'd rather hear the people, so we don't forget who they are. PPRuNe does a good job of that when the pilots weigh in with "condolences to the crew," or "I know lots of guys at that company." Sometimes tv and newspapers do a good job at that, bringing out the human side of a tragedy.

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My whole life is CFIT.

[Capt_Night_Freight]

This from Reuters News


Transport Ministry Undersecretary for Civil Aviation Ibrahim Abdullah al-Hammar told a news conference in Manama: "Before entering the last phase of landing at runway number 12, the recorded speed was higher than usual, while he (the pilot) was at a distance of one mile (1.6 km) from the landing strip."

Hammar was relaying preliminary information from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, which has been helping in the investigation of last Wednesday's crash in shallow Gulf waters off Bahrain airport.

He said information from the plane's flight data recorder, which has been sent to Washington for analysis, showed that the last speed recorded before the crash was 270 knots.

"The airspeed was above normal for a landing, and at about one mile from the runway, the aircraft entered a left-hand orbit (turn)..."

"At the completion of the left-hand orbit, the aircraft was not in a position to land and initiated a missed approach. During the missed approach at approximately 1,000 feet, the aircraft entered a rapid descent," Hammar said.

Hammar said the pilot disconnected the autopilot on landing approach, but "this is normal."

Asked if the high speed suggested a pilot error, Hammar said: "I think it is very premature to give an answer at this stage."

NTSB representative Frank Hilldrop, ruling out an engine fault as a cause of crash, said: "So far we don't see any engine problems."

Divers have been searching waters off Bahrain to salvage wreckage that might give clues to why the plane crashed.

Investigators from Bahrain, Oman, France, the United States and planemaker Airbus Industrie have held meetings and visited the site to try to determine the cause of the crash of flight GF072 from Cairo.

Gulf Air has said the Bahraini pilot aborted one landing and went around for a second attempt, but reported no technical problems and gave no indication of concern.

Bahraini officials said there were no indications of an explosion.

Most of the victims of the crash, including 30 children under the age of 12 and many families, have been flown home or buried in Bahrain, but some bodies are still in Bahrain due to identification problems.



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When the weight of the paper equals the weight of the airplane, only then you can go flying.

[NWAINSFO]

Has anyone heard anything new about this Airbus crash? What was the cause? I haven't read or heard anything since it happened.
Any links or updates, please let me know.
I am interested because the day after it was reported I went out on a 4-day domestic AIRBUS 320 trip. It is a nice plane. I like the wide aisles and the big seats....
James in SFO for NWA

[Kimberley]

I heard they were looking into airspeed as a possible causal factor. Let me do some quick checking and I'll come back with a link for you.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000830/wl/crash_bahrain_dc_37.html

I'll see if I can't find something more recent than 30Aug00 for you.

[This message has been edited by mriya225 (edited September 01, 2000).]