Sooo... I almost died today!

Jaguar_5

It's ALIVE!
Feb 7, 2006
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Me and the rest of a full 777, attempted to take off from Newark this morning, and lets just say we are all very lucky it never left the ground!!!

I had a window seat a few rows behind the right wing, i was looking out during takeoff, we hit full throttle, as we were getting close to having enough velocity for the nose to pull up, things started to shudder somehwat violently, and then BOOM, i saw a fireball about the same size as the engine shoot out, essentially right next to me! Followed by a lot of sparks, a whole bunch of shrapnell flying out the back. The entire plane was shuddering violently, we came to a complete stop, and the shake continued. The pilots finally shut off the engines, and we were towed off the runway with a number of firetrucks as an escort.

The engine had a catastrophic failure, and the brakes slowed us down from 150 to a stop, not too far from the end of the runway.

If the engine would've exploded about half a minute later, we would've crashed, guarunteed. I don't know if that counts as almost dying, but it sure as fuck was scary!

I'm sitting here still waiting for our replacement airplane, and then I'll get to endure a 12 hour flight, with lots of anxiety.

I've flown alot, and never had any fears of flight... lets just say that won't be the case anymore!
 

LilMissMkIII

That Aussie Chick
Aug 18, 2006
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Aussie Land
Shit man... I don't know if i'd be able to fly after an experience like that!!!!!

Best of luck with the rest of your transit! :)
 

HIDPLANET

89 1JZGTE
My plan was FOILED again by those pesky kids!
m69x10.jpg
 

Jaguar_5

It's ALIVE!
Feb 7, 2006
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ROFL You guys are crazy, i needed a good laugh about now though :D

I'm sitting here at the terminal waiting for them to prepare our replacement plane, and the flight crew is talking to this stewardess, telling her what happened, and seeing someone who flys every day drop her jaw in shock, kinda put things in perspective!

Apparently it's already been on the news...
 

SupraMario

I think it was the google
Mar 30, 2005
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The Farm
??? Crashed? I highly doubt that, but dangerous yes. Good thing your ok, and so is the rest of the crew.
Just remember, your more likely to die going to the burger joint in your supra than in a plane.
:)
 

91T breezen'

ROMNEY/RYAN 2012
Apr 4, 2005
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Holy crap man!:icon_surp Glad you're okay. I don't know if I could get right back on the same kind of plane, but the odds are astronomical,:aigo: that it would ever happen to you again.:x:
I was in the Army for almost twelve years, and have flown way more than I cared to. But, I've never had anything close to that kind of shit,:eek: happen to me!
Where are you headed to? A twelve hour flight, would be, the far east? or down under?
Take it easy, and see you in Centralia!:icon_bigg
 

Adjuster

Supramania Contributor
Wow!

At least the plane still has one engine left at that point... Not enough to take off on, but it should have been able to make it around to land... (Of course, when the plane takes off, it's full of fuel, and the landing gear could be damaged by the landing of the plane full of fuel actually.)

So, there are a few good reasons that you guys never left the ground. (Not that you give a rat's ass about the landing gear, or the airframe/gear check that would have followed a landing with a load of passengers, cargo and nearly full fuel tanks.)

I remember a few years back, a Israeli 747 cargo jet taking off out of Holland lost one engine, actually ripped it off the strut, taking another with it, Then it crashed into a large apartment building, and caused quite a bit of damage.

Glad to hear your engine failure was ground based. (Wonder if the engine ate a large bird or something? That might cause the rumble, or if there was a metal failure? Those engines on the 777 are huges, so I sure hope they figure out what's wrong, and no other planes have similar problems.)

Here is is.
# 23) 04.10.92 (17.35 UTC) Boeing 747-258F
4X-AXG (21737/362) El Al
4 fatalities / 4 occupants + 47
Location: Amsterdam (Netherlands) Nature: Freight
Phase: Climb from: Amsterdam-Schiphol APT to: Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion Flightnr.: LY1862
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The design and certification of the B747 pylon was found to be inadequate to provide the required level of safety. Furthermore the
system to ensure structural integrity by inspection failed. This ultimately caused - probably initiated by fatigue in the inboard midspar fuse-pin - the no.3
pylon and engine to separate from the wing in such a way that the no.4 pylon and engine were torn off, part of the leading edge of the wing was
damaged and the use of several systems was lost or limited. This subsequently left the flight crew with very limited control of the airplane. Because of the
marginal controllability a safe landing became highly improbable, if not virtually impossible."
Source: Aircraft Accident Report 92-11 El Al Flight 1862 Boeing 747-258F 4X-AXG Bijlmermeer, Amsterdam October 4, 1992 / Netherlands Aviation
Safety Board; NTSB Safety Recommendations A-92-117
 

Figit090

Fastest mk3 GT4 1/4 mile!
Jan 7, 2006
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Humboldt County
yikes. scary shit, glad you're ok. i've only flown 2 times, and turbulence alone makes me hope to god the engineers did a damn good job designing the frame. especially as you watch the wings bend. THAT is un-nerving...especially when you've never been near enough to a plane to see that the wings have lots of give. but yeah, they arent that dangerous i've heard and you shouldnt worry. have a nice flight...if you havent left yet.
 

Jaguar_5

It's ALIVE!
Feb 7, 2006
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Seattle
D34: I dunno man, an engine exploded on a fully loaded and fueled flight, engine exploding 5-10 ft above the ground i'd say that would be a crash landing for sure! Regardless, it didn't happen, soo no need to venture there. And I know it's statistically waaay more dangerous driving each day, but, a) i'm on the ground, and more importantly b) i have more control and awareness of the situation. Granted you aren't always in control, but in my 4+ years of driving, the only time i've ever touched another car, (and no i haven't hit any buildings lol) The only accident I was in, i was stopped behind traffic at a red light, and got rear-ended :icon_mad:


Duane: Thanks :icon_bigg

Tom: Didn't know you were in the army! Yeah i kept telling myself as i was on the replacement 777, chances this'll happen in to someone in their lifetime is slim, chances that something like that would happen again? Veeery unlikely, and on the same day? Exponentially unlikely.

I hope to see you at centralia, not sure If i'll be able to make it, dont want to put that many miles on my bhg'd dd, I might be able to convince my roommate it'll kick ass, and roll up their in his Stealth t/t


Figit: My father is a pilot so i have always had lots of knowledge and faith in aviation technology. But as i grow older and watch more crash analyzations on tv, and now this lol! Turbulence, watching the wings flex, that ain't a thing, but excessive rumbling and takeoff will probably forever spike my nerves to some extent, from this day on

Adjuster: Interesting post, i seem to remember that as well, though didn't know thats what caused the crash!! Scary shit...
Interesting it was Israeli, as that is where i am now / where the flight was headed! I'm guessing it was a metal failure, although i did mention to the guy next to me it could've been a bird, but i thought jet engines are specifically built for that? Guess it still could cause damage though! I didn't see any bird guts fly out though ;)

http://www.northjersey.com/page.php...lRUV5eTcwOTcwNDYmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXky

Theres the news article, the bottom is kinda scary :nono:
 

ovenrude

New Member
Mar 14, 2007
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Minneapolis
crazy story. I've almost died multiple times now and it certianly puts thing in perspective. Most of mine though were from stupid mistakes or falling from crazy high places and if I had fallen just slightly different I'd be dead. When I was just a little kid I fell almost 20 feet basically on my head and somehow lived. I was lucky as hell.
 

Jaguar_5

It's ALIVE!
Feb 7, 2006
1,468
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Seattle
^ lol, be careful you crazy klutz ;)

20 feet fall on your head...? Dude, quit cheating death!!! He's gonna have a vengeance for you now ;)
 

Tanya

Supramania Contributor
Aug 15, 2005
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they must have stupidly used a 7M on that one side, how sad...



*runs*


glad you're ok man, that is really scary!