Ryanair flight from Fuerteventura yesterday

Drummerboy2

Just wondering if anyone heard about the flight yesterday from above resort. Well let me tell you. After a comfortable flight we arrived over Ireland where the winds were high. After a very bumpy few minutes the pilot attempted to land the plane. We were in the middle of the landing procedure when all off a sudden the pilot aborted the landing and suddenly took off back into the skies. It was extremely frightening incident having been virtually on the runway. It was announced that the plane was now to land in Shannon. There was another extremely bumpy landing but people were extremely relieved to have landed.

The stairs were placed at both doors for people to disembark. People prepared themselves to leave the plane. However it was then announced that the plane was to proceed to Dublin once again and people were told they could not leave the plane. This is when the fun started.

After a lot of haggling and rowing it was then announced that anyone who wanted to leave could do so. About 30 or so left, and their baggage was removed from below.

Then an elderly gentleman who was a little worse for wear having obviously opened his duty free after the frightening incident became abusive to the head steward. After another row the Garda were called to remove him from the plane. The captain kept announcing for everyone to sit down but at this stage it was mayhem as everybody was extremely nervous. After about 30 minutes, calm was restored and we headed back to Dublin. To be honest I had considered taking my family off the flight and was prepared to book into a Limerick hotel and have a few pints of Guinness to calm the nerves but my better half decided to stick it out. Thankfully we landed but it was another extremly bumpy nervous landing, with people praying around me and one woman in particular having a very loud panic attack. In fairness to the flight crew they did their best, expecially the team leader.

What made this remarkable, was that on the way over a man took sick and we landed in Nantes for him to receive medical attention. He was taken by ambulance and hopefully he has made a full recovery. However because of a problem with the weight of the plane, it was kept on the runway for over 3 hours. Unlike the return flight, the crew were Eastern European and refused to give mothers with small children water while they were waiting on the runway. Extremely poor custumer relations.

Well I heard many people saying they will never fly again after these incidents, but it wont stop me. I found Fuerteventura a wonderful, wonderful place to visit and I hope to bring my family back there some day.

peanuthead

sounds like a nightmare!! I cant stand the five minute wait for the doors to open after a flight, never mind 3 hours in a different airport!!!

Tabnabs

I think that people need to understand that during periods of extremely high wind (85 km/h winds recorded at Dublin Airport yesterday) landing a 60 ton aircraft can be a highly challenging manoeuvre.

Ryanair operations mean that aircraft must be in Dublin to continue its routing onwards. So that plane had to be back in Dublin at the earliest opportunity.

So the rough ride is just part of flying in rough weather. It's probably a credit to the pilots to get the plane down with as little disruption as possible. They earned their money yesterday.

The manner in which the passengers were reassured (or not in this case) is down to the training and quality of Ryanair staff. Lets face it, Ryanair do not attract a high calibre employee (perhaps pilots exempt) compared to other major airlines, so its not altogether surprising that it was a scene of confusion and distress. This is nothing new with Ryanair and TBH everyone knows that you pays your money and takes your chances with Ryanair...

Hagar

Check your next credit card statement, usually Ryanair charges double the landing fee in these circumstances.

mikedragon32

I'm moving this to Aviation. It's not quite what the travel review forum is for.

eth0_

Glad you're not whinging about it OP, a lot of passengers would have been furious that their flight had been diverted, so ignorant are they of the dangers of landing in high winds.

slimjimmc

Drummerboy2 wrote: »

After a very bumpy few minutes the pilot attempted to land the plane. We were in the middle of the landing procedure when all off a sudden the pilot aborted the landing and suddenly took off back into the skies. It was extremely frightening incident having been virtually on the runway.

I hope it wasn't as scary as the famous Lufthansa escape at Hamburg earlier this year

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055247784&highlight=lufthansa

highlydebased

The METAR's yesterday were fun, it was 22G44 at one point

Ryanair have standby aircraft in place at Dublin in the event that one aircraft does not arrive back in the evening.

Just for record RYR7127 was yesterday operated by EI-CSQ,

BostonB

Isn't the general idea is to land harder and faster in bad weather, and high winds. Basically plant it on the deck so your sure you down, not not so hard that you bounce. Not faff about trying to get a soft/greaser of a landing. Mind you RyanAir seem to plant it harder than usual even on a good day. In a rush to get turned around I assume.

highlydebased

BostonB wrote: »

Isn't the general idea is to land harder and faster in bad weather, and high winds. Basically plant it on the deck so your sure you down, not not so hard that you bounce. Not faff about trying to get a soft/greaser of a landing. Mind you RyanAir seem to plant it harder than usual even on a good day. In a rush to get turned around I assume.

Generally no.

Its better to have a firm landing in any conditions than to float half way down the runway before touchdown just because you wanted to avoid comments from the cabin crew!!

IMO Ryanair do not "plant it harder" than any other airline, its a notion that many people have about the airline unfortunately.

oleras

Neon-Circles wrote: »

Generally no.

Its better to have a firm landing in any conditions than to float half way down the runway before touchdown just because you wanted to avoid comments from the cabin crew!!

IMO Ryanair do not "plant it harder" than any other airline, its a notion that many people have about the airline unfortunately.

I am no expert on aviation, but spoke to an ex-ryanair pilot recently, and he told me the reason their landings are so different from the likes of Aer Lingus is the inexperience of the co-pilots that join the company straight from getting their wings, they have to practice somwehere !

BostonB

Neon-Circles wrote: »

Generally no.

Its better to have a firm landing in any conditions than to float half way down the runway before touchdown just because you wanted to avoid comments from the cabin crew!!

IMO Ryanair do not "plant it harder" than any other airline, its a notion that many people have about the airline unfortunately.

Notion? Thats my personal experience of them. I don't have a problem with it. As you say its safer than floating down the runway. Though I think in generally pilots with a club background try to make more of an effort with the landing. It depends on the weather IMO. I think the hardest landing I ever hard was in a big storm, landing in Dublin on Aer Lingus, landed so hard all the overhead bins opened and a lot of bags came out. Mind you the same night there were trees down all over Dublin. So every one was just glad to be down after a very bumpy approach.

diverdriver

I must say, as a pilot. I'm tempted to laugh at yet another story of 'terror on go around.' But of course, the average passenger barely copes with it when everything runs smoothly. The people who got off in Shannon were foolish as I imagine Ryanair will have left them sitting there.

The reality is that go arounds, while not exactly routine, are perfectly safe. In fact, going around is the safe thing to do. In all probability the flight crew diverted to Shannon because conditions were outside limits for the aircraft. The decision to return was probably because conditions had improved.

As for turbulence, well it's windy. If you went out on the ferry to Holyhead you would expect to be tossed about. Yet people react when an aircraft hits turbulence as if it was going to fall out of the sky. It doesn't and it won't but it's not comfortable.

And yes firm landing are the norm in windy conditions. Plant it on the runway and keep it there. It's not just junior co pilots practising anyone can have a hard landing on a normal day.

As for the water incident in Nantes. The crew are not allowed to hand out water. You must buy it. They have no flexibility at all. Even they must buy or bring their own water and food on board. That includes the pilots. So no free water at all. It's low cost airline way.

BostonB

Familiarity breeds contempt? Only teasing diverdriver

Some people just don't like flying. Any noise or bump sets them on edge. Even on what most people would consider a smooth flight. Mind you some people don't like driving either, or ladders. Its just the way your head is wired. People who have no problem with things like this find it hard to have empathy for those that do.

Savman

We got delayed coming back from Blackpool this week due to weather conditions in Dublin. I'm no expert on anything aviation, but the landing in Dublin was the bumpiest I've ever experienced and couldn't have been easy.

I'm not surprised some flights got sent to Shannon tbh, the winds were mental.

chickenhawk

diverdriver wrote: »

And yes firm landing are the norm in windy conditions. Plant it on the runway and keep it there.

I love how all the manuals describe it though.

'Make a positive landing'

I remember asking an instructor what a "positive landing" was.

He just looked up and said "plant her".........so I did :pac:

goingnowhere

oleras wrote: »

I am no expert on aviation, but spoke to an ex-ryanair pilot recently, and he told me the reason their landings are so different from the likes of Aer Lingus is the inexperience of the co-pilots that join the company straight from getting their wings, they have to practice somwehere !

Its probably more to do with the fact the 737-800 has very hard suspension on the main landing gear.

skybus

Here is a youtube video recorded by someone on the 23rd of October, the day in question of 5 go arounds.

Link here

*Kol*

goingnowhere wrote: »

Its probably more to do with the fact the 737-800 has very hard suspension on the main landing gear.

Very hard suspension??

Tenger

diverdriver wrote: »

.
And yes firm landing are the norm in windy conditions. Plant it on the runway and keep it there. It's not just junior co pilots practising anyone can have a hard landing on a normal day.

As for the water incident in Nantes.............. So no free water at all. It's low cost airline way.

Agree with the desire to plant it. As cabin crew we want that that fluttering above the runway. And fir the record EI have just as many 'bad' landings as FR. Even as an EI staff member I wouldn't say that FR have worse pilots.

And the water thing is due to the inflexibility of FR. The crew have to work under conditions set down from Mick O'Leary. As said above the crew must bring in or buy their own refreshments.

BostonB

Bramble wrote: »

.... And fir the record EI have just as many 'bad' landings as FR. Even as an EI staff member I wouldn't say that FR have worse pilots.....

Who said anything about bad landings?

(cue...good landing....walk away etc).

pclancy

Cool video Skybus

diverdriver

Great video. A keeper. Airline flying is 'easy' most of the time. But a couple of times a year every pilot earns his or her entire salary for the year if not life.

It's fair to say some pilots are better at crosswinds than others. It's also fair to say that luck plays it's part. Go around early and often.