Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain. We have a small problem. All four engines have stopped.

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-431802/The-story-BA-flight-009-words-passenger-dreads-.html

The story of BA flight 009 and the words every passenger dreads ...by ZOE BRENNAN

Last updated at 16:23 29 January 2007


With unbelievable restraint, Captain Eric Moody addressed British Airways flight 009 as his Boeing 747 drifted inexorably down towards the Indian Ocean.

Displaying the stiff-upper-lip spirit that built an empire, he uttered the words that are every air passenger's worst nightmare: 'Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have a small problem. All four engines have stopped. We are doing our damnedest to get it under control. I trust you are not in too much distress.'

-------------------------------------------------

http://www.suntimes.com/news/world/2165934,CST-NWS-volcano16.article

VOLCANIC ASH Q&A

Q. How does the ash affect airliners, and what are the dangers it poses?

A. The very fine but extremely abrasive particles present a hazard to the aircraft's airframe and power plants. They easily scratch and erode paint, aluminum and glass. This damages the wings' leading edges and has a sandblasting effect on cockpit windscreens and landing lights. Inside the engines, the particles stick to the engine's hot parts, forming a glasslike coating, and grind up turbines, bearings and other moving parts, restricting air flow through the turbine. This might lead to the immediate loss of thrust and eventually engine failure.

They also can clog air filters, such as the ones through which air flows to the passenger cabin.

Q. When was flying through ash clouds recognized as a safety threat?

A. In the early 1980s, two Boeing 747s were severely damaged by the ash clouds spewing from Galunggung Volcano on Indonesia's Java island. One of these lost power on all four engines. While the pilots managed to restart the engines at a lower altitude, the resulting glide still ranks as one of the longest ever performed by an aircraft not specifically designed as a glider.

[ellie]

1. That was great!

I was afraid to read the rest of it.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. "The good news is that your flight has been shortened, the bad news.."

[pinto]

3. Amazing story.

"We have a small problem...."

[virgogal]

4. History Channel (I think) did a wonderful show about that flight.

Perhaps it will be re-run now that this incident has happened.

I saw it about 2 years ago.

[NotThisTime]

5. It was an amazing show they did on it

[Stuart G]

6. Please read to the end, this is a great story. nt.

[Ikonoklast]

7. I hope I never fly on a plane with a 'big' problem.

What would that be, that we broke the Space/Time Continuum, and had no way of getting back to Earth?

[NoNothing]

8. Reminds me of a joke I like

So I'm flying home to New York from London for the holidays and end up seated next to a businessman. You can tell this guy is a real go-getter, but doesn't seem to bright. Anyways, he's working on his computer and whatnot and we're over the middle of the Atlantic, when we hear a strange noise. Sure enough, the captain comes on a few minutes later and tells us, "Folks, we've had a slight technical issue with one of our engines and we've had to shut it down. There's no reason at all to worry, because we still have three good engines. We'll just be a little late getting into New York, about two hours behind schedule. Relax and have a good rest of the flight."

The guy next to me is clearly irritated, but says nothing and I try to sleep. A little while later, we hear a screeching noise and the captain comes back on and says, "Folks, that noise you heard was a turbine failure on one of our remaining engines. There's no cause for alarm - the plane can fly on a single engine if it has to - but we will be about four hours late getting into New York."

Well the guy next to me is really ticked now, and starts complaining about how valuable his time is and how he has important things to do. I suggest that he try to relax, because there's nothing anybody can do about it. Well, the plane is flying for a little while longer when we hear a loud hissing sound and smoke is pouring out of one of the engine. I'm really starting to worry now, and the captain is too. He comes on the intercom and says, "Well, folks, one of our two remaining engines has caught on fire and we had to shut it down. Please remain calm; as I've said we can fly just fine on one engine alone and will make it to our destination. I've declared the highest priority emergency and all air traffic is yielding to us but the closest airport is still New York. We will make it there, I promise, but it will be about six hours until we land. Please follow the instructions of the cabin crew and in the mean time, remain calm."

Well the guy next to me flips out. "Damn it!" he says. "Six hours until we get there! If we lose that last engine we're going to be up here all day!"