In 1988, a 737, flown by Aloha Airlines with 90 people on board was en route to Honolulu, cruising at an altitude of 24,000 feet, when a small section of the roof ruptured. The experience of Capt Moody, almost 30 years ago, shows the potential danger clouds of volcanic ash present to modern jet aircraft. After being assessed for post-traumatic stress disorder, Burkill returned to the cockpit five months later. From November, 1981, to September, 1986, he coordinated all the FBIs Labor Racketeering investigations. The plane had flown into a cloud of dust spewed out by an eruption of Mount Galunggung, 110 miles south east of Jakarta. Moody's announcement was actually more than that. The only training we had gotten for a water landing was reading a few paragraphs in a manual and having a brief classroom discussion, he said. Lancaster survived, suffering a few fractures and frostbite. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. The Miracle on the Hudson was hailed as the most successful ditching in aviation history by the NTSB. They had no idea what was causing the flame-outs. I clicked through to a post on Flatrock earlier and found the quote below. The City of Edinburgh had been cruising at 37,000 feet over the ocean on a June night w On 24 June 1982, the route was flown by the City of Edinburgh, a 747-236B. We are doing our damnedest to get them going again. One such passenger was Charles Capewell, who scrawled "Ma. The tags, bearing the campaign's logo, were worn as necklaces or bracelets and used to raise awareness of 10:10's work: the organisation aimed to persuade individuals, organizations and businesses to reduce their carbon emissions by 10% in 2010.[11]. Capt Moody was piloting a 263-seater British Airways Boeing 747 flight from London to Auckland in June 1982 when he ran into an ash plume erupting from Mount Galunggung in Java, Indonesia. The problem had not been spotted earlier because of an electronic fault on the aircrafts instrument panel, and the plane lost all power. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. In this remarkable incident, on board a BA flight to Malaga with 81 passengers, a badly-fitted windscreen panel failed, sucking the captain, Tim Lancaster, halfway out of the cockpit. The minimum time in grade to be considered eligible for retirement is two years. Passengers who had a view out the aircraft windows noted that the engines were unusually bright, with light shining forward through the fan blades and producing a stroboscopic effect. The events around one British Airways flight in 1982 reveal the potential dangers of this sort of dust. Capt Moody, who had left the cockpit for a stroll, was summoned back to the flight deck. A few minutes later number four engine sputtered to a halt, followed by two, then three and one. Eric Moody THE HAMPSHIRE pilot of the infamous 1982 British Airways Flight 9 incident today said he believed the Malaysian Airlines MH370 was brought down deliberately. A condition called alopecia ariata causes the hair shed suddenly, resulting in bald patches. We have a small problem. At 13,500 feet (4,100m), the crew was approaching the altitude at which they would have to turn over the ocean and attempt a risky ditching. Up in the cockpit, Moody and his team were working overtime. All four engines have stopped. Moody hadnt a clue why. Within seconds, and almost simultaneously, engines one and three flamed out, prompting the flight engineer to exclaim, "I don't believe itall four engines have failed!"[3]. A build-up of ice crystals had caused a restriction in the flow of fuel. The BBC is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites. And here's Wikipedia's description of the incident: British Airways Flight 9, sometimes referred to by its callsign Speedbird 9 or Jakarta incident,[1] was a scheduled British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Auckland, with stops in Bombay, Madras, Kuala Lumpur, Perth, and Melbourne. With nerves of steel, the captain, Eric Moody, miraculously landed the plane. We have a small problem. US Airways Captain Chesley B Sully Sullenberger. "That's not unusual in high wispy cloud. We are doing our damnedest to get them going again. an industry where women are still an extreme minority, part of the planes windshield came loose. An investigation found that air traffic control was to blame, and while Mr He was rewarded for his actions with a cash bonus equivalent to around 360,000, two air traffic controllers had their licenses revoked. She managed to trace some 200 of the 247 passengers on the flight, and went on to marry a fellow survivor, James Ferguson, who had been seated in the row in front of her. Fortunately the incident ended happily, with the 46-year-old landing safely. Hamble was strong on airmanship and those early lessons stuck with Moody throughout his career. Officers selected for but not promoted to the next higher grade must specifically decline promotion in their retirement in lieu of orders (RILO) request. There had been no hint of trouble when flight BA 009 took off from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia on the evening of 24 June, 1982. The crew began engine restart drills, despite being well above the recommended maximum engine in-flight start envelope altitude of 28,000 feet (8,500m). The plane returned to Detroit, and - despite being forced to land dangerously fast - McCormick touched down safely. Captain Eric Moody gave an interview to the July 2010 edition of Flaps Podcast, where he recounted his experience. There were 152 people on board and we were all going to die.". There are times, he tells Flight Safety Australia, that pilots need to work outside the rules and this was one of them. The plane was badly damaged, and stopped yard from the M11 motorway, but everyone on board survived and Hackett was praised for defying protocol. All four engines have stopped. Effective date of retirement is no later than August 1, 2022. This raised the possibility BA9 might have to attempt an ocean ditching if the engines could not be restarted by 12,000 feet. From November, 1981, to September, 1986, he coordinated all the FBIs Labor Racketeering investigations. The engines had enough electrical power to restart because one generator and the onboard batteries were still operating; electrical power was required for ignition of the engines. WebCaptain Moody served with British Airways for 32 years, retiring in 1996 with over 17,000 flight hours. According to Chinese media, the pilot, named He Chao, was at the helm of an Airbus A320-200, preparing to take off from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. In some cases the white hairs are unaffected by the condition. As the ash entered the engines, it melted in the combustion chambers and adhered to the inside of the power-plant. Airports are being closed across the UK after dust which spewed from a volcano in Iceland, began drifting southwards. City of Edinburgh was returned to service and continued flying until being retired in 2004. But he took voluntary redundancy in August 2009 and criticised BA over its handling of the incident, claiming he had been "hung out to dry". Effective date of retirement is no later than August 1, 2022. He then called out how high they should be at each DME step along the final approach to the runway, creating a virtual glide slope for them to follow. Now nicknamed the Gimli Glider, Air Canada flight 143 was flying from Montreal to Edmonton on 23 July 1983, when the plane ran out of fuel at 41,000ft. Little has changed since our flight. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Because volcanic ash up where we were is like talcum powder; it's that fine. They had no idea what was causing the flame-outs. The airliner, flown by Captain Eric Moody, lost thrust from all four engines at 37,000ft. Will do best for boys. Then he ordered the evacuation of the 157 passengers and 13 crew members. Captain Moody is not alone. Engine number 2 exploded over Indonesia, damaging a wing and causing a fuel tank fire, forcing the plane, an A380 with 469 people on board, to make an emergency landing in Singapore. Then theres a more recent case study of a 54-year-old woman in Switzerland who had a small patch of hair loss. Airmanship is as important as technical flying skills but harder to teach. Shortly after that, engines one and two successfully restarted as well. Born in Savannah, Ga and growing up in Hinesville, I was always close You have entered an incorrect email address! MOODY: Well, it was sheer bloody-mindedness and persistence. Although I was actually flying - hand flying the airplane. His hair took a year to turn completely white. The airliner, flown by Captain Eric Moody, lost thrust from all four engines at 37,000ft. Disclaimer All content within this column is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. Gliding as low as 12,000 feet, they turned back towards Indonesia. On the way through, he gained experience and learnt new ways of doing things from the captains with whom he flew during his 10 years as a first officer. When all four engines on the Boeing 747 being flown by Captain Eric Moody shut down at 37,000ft, he hadn't a clue why. We could find the centreline of the runway but I had no glideslope, he said. On the flight deck, however, Greaves's mask was broken; the delivery tube had detached from the rest of the mask. Accuracy and availability may vary. SIMON: Are airliners better equipped to handle a volcano? WebEric Moody (Captain) Continued flying for British Airways until retiring in 1996 Roger Greaves (First Officer) Unknown Barry Townley-Freeman (Flight Engineer) Has since retired from British Airways Fire Fight (Air Canada 797) Donald Cameron (Captain) And thats something thats not changed at all. Sorry. After its closing I did what most young people do at a tourist destination and started waiting tables and bartending. We must've come out of the ash cloud. Finding a new job with an accident on his record, however, proved difficult, and he rejoined the airline in 2010. Captain Eric Moody was later praised for a cabin announcement that was described as "a masterpiece of understatement.". Captain Chris Henkey and the crew of the Boeing 777-200 bound for Londons Gatwick airport from Las Vegas had to abandon the takeoff partway down the runway when one of the two engines caught fire. In 1996, a hijacked Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed into the ocean near the Comoros Islands after running out of fuel. We traveled 80 nautical miles forward, and 15,000 feet or so. Landing in gusty conditions is a minor inconvenience for any pilot. The BBC is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content of this site. I think airmanship is at the bottom of it all. "We were about to stall and fall out of the sky," said Captain Peter Burkill in an interview two years later. Moody used autopilot to glide the plane into a gentle descent. Within a few moments, a passenger jet powered by four Rolls Royce engines had become a glider. Airmanship may sound old school but former British Airways captain Eric Moody argues it is just as important now as it was when he and his crew struggled to restart all 4 engines on his Boeing 747-200 in 1982. All four engines have stopped. The near-miss was compared to the 1977 Tenerife Airport disaster, the deadliest aviation accident of all time, in which 583 people were killed after two Boeing 747s collided on the runway. as well as other partner offers and accept our. When he opened the door to the cockpit he saw the windscreen ablaze with a St Elmo's fire - a discharge of static electricity. WebSingle Family Office. Moody says a strong grounding in airmanship skills he and the crew had gained over the years through experience and by watching others helped them survive the ordeal. WebMoody was then transferred to FBI Headquarters, OC Section, Criminal Investigative Division. The report went on: "He did this, but with power still applied and possibly a gust affecting the aircraft, a normal touchdown was followed by a bounce, from which the aircraft landed heavily. It was, says Moody, a classic case of airmanship and cooperation between the flight crew. The captain, Eric Moody, tried to reassure passengers with the following statement: "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Furthermore, the dust sandblasted the windscreen, making it almost impossible to see. Please review our, You need to be a subscriber to join the conversation. They had no idea what was causing the flame-outs. here's Wikipedia's description of the incident: Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air, The crew's intense focus on the problem (without false assurances that they could fix it), Concern for the well-being of the passengers (without being patronizing). Perhaps the best known incident of recent times, involving the most brilliantly monikered pilot. 56,514 people are reading stories on the site right now. New York, New York, United States. The airliner, flown by Captain Eric Moody, lost thrust from all four engines at 37,000ft. Its just one of those things that you gain or you learn from other people and experience.. I trust you are not in too much distress. Maybe its the idea that the body reveals more than we think, that underneath the impressive calmness which allowed Captain Moody to save the lives of 247 passengers, his body was telling a different story. The City of Edinburgh had been cruising at 37,000 feet over the ocean on a June night w City of Edinburgh, later renamed City of Elgin, continued to fly for British Airways after the incident, before being sold to European Aviation Air Charter. Moody hadnt a clue why. Moody displaying the cool-headed nature required of a pilot made the following announcement to his passengers: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. The captain, Eric Moody, tried to reassure passengers with the following statement: "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have a small problem. She notes: "The 28th December 2006 marks the start of our 14th year of honeymoon, and on the 24th June 2007 many passengers and crew will no doubt gather to celebrate the 25th anniversary of our mid-air adventure. In his calmest pilots voice Moody made an announcement: Good evening ladies and gentlemen, This is your captain speaking. Capt Moody was piloting a 263-seater British Airways Boeing 747 flight from London to Auckland in June 1982 when he ran into an ash plume erupting from Mount Galunggung in Java, Indonesia. We got two or three thousand feet of clear air. Burkill took the instinctive decision to bring in the aircraft's flaps in a last-ditch attempt to reduce drag and give the plane a chance of clearing Hatton Cross. And If Id tried to do things by the book, I dont know whether wed still be here.. Here are five other pilots who managed remarkable emergency landings. Henkey is the latest man and all these heroes are men, owing to an industry where women are still an extreme minority to join the ranks of airplane pilots who demonstrated quick thinking in the face of destruction. Copyright Civil Aviation Safety Authority Australia, Captain Moodys wisdom: the aeroplane might break any minute. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has adopted only six of the 35 safety recommendations made by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in its final report on Flight 1549.