# Boeing 777 loses power; glides to a safe landing **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 17, 2008, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boeing-777-loses-power-glides-to-a-safe-landing/433917 "2008-01-17T19:27:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boeing-777-loses-power-glides-to-a-safe-landing/433917/101 "2008-01-20T17:59:55Z")
[QUOTE=Lust4Life] Personally I rather think that the flight crew rather let the side down. YES they made a successful crash landing without any casualties BUT! They’re supposed to British dammit and yet some of the passengers reported afterwards,and of this there can be no doubt,the Captain looked a little pale [/QUOTE] Are you sure the passenger wasn’t just commenting on the extreme Caucasianness of said Captain? :dubious: 😛 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boeing-777-loses-power-glides-to-a-safe-landing/433917/102 "2008-01-20T20:17:50Z")
It’s worse than that, **Lust4Life** - the inappropriately-named first officer Mr Coward, who performed the incredible landing, said he’s [having problems sleeping](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7198598.stm). Mind you, he does live in France, so is probably becoming effete. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boeing-777-loses-power-glides-to-a-safe-landing/433917/103 "2008-01-20T20:34:45Z")
According to the News of the World\* one of the pilots used to live a life of wretched awfulness where packs of rampant air stewardesses used to cover him in chocolate and stick liquorice up his bum. Details here: [The News of the World](http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/2001_hero_pilot_romp.shtml) SFW, unless you work for Puritans The poor bastard! - For non-UK viewers “The News of the World” is one of the most respected, high circulation Sunday papers. heh. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boeing-777-loses-power-glides-to-a-safe-landing/433917/104 "2008-01-20T21:26:57Z")
Looked like a nice group of people having a lot of fun. Good for them. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boeing-777-loses-power-glides-to-a-safe-landing/433917/105 "2008-01-20T21:35:12Z")
**Lust4Life** : I didn’t want to say anything, but at a few points during that press statement video clip, the Captain’s upper lip was clearly moving. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boeing-777-loses-power-glides-to-a-safe-landing/433917/106 "2008-01-20T21:49:51Z")
[QUOTE=Struan] According to the News of the World\* one of the pilots used to live a life of wretched awfulness where packs of rampant air stewardesses used to cover him in chocolate and stick liquorice up his bum. [/QUOTE] I fucking hate the tabloids. Also, what kind of bastard would sell photos like that to them, to smear a fucking hero? That said, he’s a good looking bastard, and the girls aren’t half bad either. If I was that good looking, I think I’d do the same thing. More power to them! ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boeing-777-loses-power-glides-to-a-safe-landing/433917/107 "2008-01-20T22:04:48Z")
[QUOTE=Lust4Life] Personally I rather think that the flight crew rather let the side down. YES they made a successful crash landing without any casualties BUT! They’re supposed to British dammit and yet some of the passengers reported afterwards,and of this there can be no doubt,the Captain looked a little pale. Huh calls himself a Brit does he? He should be ashamed of himself. I’m sorry but I’m just too angry to go on. [/QUOTE] I heard he looked _white_, which is exactly how the British are _supposed_ to look. Rule Brittania! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boeing-777-loses-power-glides-to-a-safe-landing/433917/108 "2008-01-21T00:28:53Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] I fucking hate the tabloids. Also, what kind of bastard would sell photos like that to them, to smear a fucking hero? [/QUOTE] Maybe the same kind that _actually_ smeared him in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boeing-777-loses-power-glides-to-a-safe-landing/433917/109 "2008-01-21T03:51:24Z")
[QUOTE=1920s Style “Death Ray”] Apart from the word “power” the two incidents have nothing in common. The Qantas aircraft lost electrical power. Shouldn’t happen but not really a big deal as there are alternate power sources including the batteries and a ram air emergency generator. As an idea of the kind of redundancy aircraft have, our Dash 8s have four separate electrical power sources. It can lose three out of four and still be ok. It can then lose the fourth one and still run on batteries for 30 mins or so. [/QUOTE] Thanks to you and \*\*Ale \*\* both for the info. I’m glad this is not some sort of epidemic! ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boeing-777-loses-power-glides-to-a-safe-landing/433917/110 "2008-01-21T10:03:19Z")
[QUOTE=1920s Style “Death Ray”] Autothrottle is not strictly an autoland function. On modern airliners the autothrottle is often engaged for the entire flight and controls the power to achieve the speed the pilots or autopilot wants. [/QUOTE] See, **Broomstick** , if you played with flight simulators you would know this. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boeing-777-loses-power-glides-to-a-safe-landing/433917/111 "2008-01-21T15:52:33Z")
FWIW, had I been one of the survivors, I would not mind at all pitching in to pay for the pilot’s party suite expenses… ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boeing-777-loses-power-glides-to-a-safe-landing/433917/112 "2008-01-21T16:23:08Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] See, **Broomstick** , if you played with flight simulators you would know this. 😃 [/QUOTE] I _do_ play with flight simulators… it’s just that I simulate biplanes and WWI era aircraft, not jumbo jets. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2008, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boeing-777-loses-power-glides-to-a-safe-landing/433917/113 "2008-01-24T14:26:46Z")
Completely coincidental to the timing of this thread, it appears that the Gimli Glider is about to make its [last flight](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080124.wgimli24/BNStory/National/home). ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boeing-777-loses-power-glides-to-a-safe-landing/433917/114 "2008-01-25T21:06:16Z")
I had lunch today with the girlfriend of the third officer on the flight. She’s taking great pleasure in pointing out to him that he is never again allowed to criticise her parking, as bumping into the odd bollard outside Sainsbury’s doesn’t really compare with mashing a £200m aeroplane into the tarmac. 😃 Apparently the pilots were genuinely suprised at the state of the plane when they got out - the bump when they hit didn’t suggest the level of damage actually caused. On the CVR just before impact you’ll hear the third officer politely ask the captain “Is this catastrophic?”, with a rather terse “Yes!” in reply. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boeing-777-loses-power-glides-to-a-safe-landing/433917/115 "2008-01-25T21:35:01Z")
Third officer? I thought the 777 had a flight crew of two? Maybe there was another guy along for the ride. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boeing-777-loses-power-glides-to-a-safe-landing/433917/116 "2008-01-25T21:39:06Z")
[QUOTE=Usram] Third officer? I thought the 777 had a flight crew of two? [/QUOTE] [Adam Savage]Well, there’s your problem.[/Adam Savage] ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boeing-777-loses-power-glides-to-a-safe-landing/433917/117 "2008-01-25T21:40:22Z")
[QUOTE=Usram] Third officer? I thought the 777 had a flight crew of two? Maybe there was another guy along for the ride. [/QUOTE] It was a long flight - would it be done with only the two pilots? ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boeing-777-loses-power-glides-to-a-safe-landing/433917/118 "2008-01-25T21:47:40Z")
[QUOTE=Usram] Third officer? I thought the 777 had a flight crew of two? Maybe there was another guy along for the ride. [/QUOTE] Sorry, he was the First Officer (but “third” in the sense that there were three of 'em on the flight deck for the trip). Standard cockpit crew is 3 x pilots for an Asia flight - captain, senior first officer and first officer. He’d done the “middle stint” from China, and was in the jump seat for landing. They asked him to attend the press conferences etc, but he declined, which is why he’s not in the press photos. > **[BBC NEWS | UK | England | London | In full: BA crash pilot statement](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7196748.stm)** > > The full text of a statement given by Captain Peter Burkill, pilot of flight BA038 which crash-landed at Heathrow. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boeing-777-loses-power-glides-to-a-safe-landing/433917/119 "2008-01-25T21:57:13Z")
[QUOTE=e-logic] On the CVR just before impact you’ll hear the third officer politely ask the captain “Is this catastrophic?”, with a rather terse “Yes!” in reply. 🙂 [/QUOTE] That reminds me of The Blues Brothers, near the end something explodes out of the engine through the hood. Elwood: I think we trew a rod. Jake: Is that serious? ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boeing-777-loses-power-glides-to-a-safe-landing/433917/120 "2008-01-25T22:09:46Z")
[QUOTE=e-logic] Sorry, he was the First Officer (but “third” in the sense that there were three of 'em on the flight deck for the trip). [/QUOTE] Ah, I see. I did actually think “flight crew of two” meant that they flew everywhere with just two officers on board, but on second thought that does sound rather unlikely :smack: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boeing-777-loses-power-glides-to-a-safe-landing/433917.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boeing-777-loses-power-glides-to-a-safe-landing/433917.md?page=7)