Icelandic volcanic eruption Eyyafyatlayokul particularly large not name. However, this eruption is almost paralyzed air traffic throughout the northern and western Europe. Closed hundreds of airports, canceled thousands of flights. Why?
's all about the volcanic ash . Rising to 15-20 km during the eruption, ash clouds are carried strong west and northwest winds, gradually moving farther and farther to the south or east. At higher altitudes the dominant wind direction in our Hemisphere - from west to east, otherwise all of Europe's troubles would have to experience America.
to Europe could hear the ashes in a small concentration almost invisible against the sky. It is not known ash falls, sleep Pompeii three-meter layer. However, for aviation, even this amount of finely divided rock in the air is very dangerous. Previously, it did not pay attention, but after the events of nearly 30 years ago in the skies over the Indian Ocean, the ratio to volcanic events has changed dramatically.
June 24, 1982 Aircraft Boeing 747-200 G-BDXH with 248 passengers and 15 crew members on board, served as one of the longest flights of the airline British Airways - BA-009 on the route London - Bombay - Madras - Kuala Lumpur - Perth - Melbourne - Auckland.
Late in the evening, while flying over the Indian Ocean about 150 km. from Java island, the crew and passengers began to notice strange things. Inside, smoke, smell and tangibly something was burning, the wings started strange whitish glow, and for each engine - a bright red glow. The aircraft at this time was at an altitude of 11,300 feet and flew towards Australia.
While the cabin crew was searching for toilets and other cubbyhole source of the smoke, the captain turned-icing system on just case display "Buckle up." However, in all respects to icing conditions could be no weather radar showed no thunderstorm centers, and nature "Fires of St. Elmo" on the wing was completely incomprehensible.
situation changed after a few minutes, when one became samovyklyuchatsya engines. This could not have dreamed of, and anybody in a terrible dream - that the four-engined airliner with enough fuel on board was over the ocean no motors at all! Of course - like a stone, he did not fall - an indicator of aerodynamic qualities of modern passenger aircraft can fly in the glider mode 12-17 miles. for each kilometer of altitude lost, dispersed through the Earth's gravity. However, this is not very encouraging - though to the nearest airport in Jakarta and left just 150 km, was located on the other side of the island to fly over a mountain range whose altitude would have definitely not enough ...
During the quiet planning for the ocean surface, the crew made several dozen attempts to start the engines in the air. After 14 minutes after engine failure, at an altitude of 3500 m able to run the engine number 4, followed - all the rest (one later stopped again, but this was not critical). The captain was once again climb to safely fly over the mountain range of Java, but soon reappeared harbingers of trouble - "the lights of St. Elmo" and the glow of the engines. Had once again come down and fly over the mountains to the minimum safe altitude.
aircraft successfully landed in Jakarta, No one was injured. However, when viewed from the liner were discovered amazing things: all of the front of the flight surfaces, switches on the glass cockpit, were scratched and erased - as if their long rubbed with sandpaper. In the engine was found a large amount of caked crusts with an unknown substance, which As it turned out, and caused their failure.
reason was found pretty quickly. These days there is a powerful eruption of the nearby volcano Galungung. In the air is expelled millions of tons of volcanic ash that hot air rises into the stratosphere and are carried by wind over a vast territory. British Airways plane was in a layer of air that is especially rich ash. Solid particles to scratch the surface, their friction caused "fires of St. Elmo," and getting into the engine, ashes to change the conditions of combustion, and that the most unpleasant - again melted and deposited in the combustion chamber and nozzle.
When the plane dropped and walked out of the ash clouds, numerous attempts by the crew fire the engines led to the fact that the fragile crust of solidified ash was partially thrown out, which allowed engine starts again.
After that, only by luck did not end in disaster, the rules of the meteorological ensure safety changes were made to consider requiring an active volcanic activity. And now, when you read "occurred in Kamchatka another eruption of Nameless. In the village of Keys observed ash falls, threatening human life and safety is not " - be aware that the situation is really under control and all flights are directed to alternate routes.
himself Boeing-747 has been restored, until January 2001 flew to British Airways (including the route in Oakland), then was sold to European Airlines, which later scrapped due to production of the resource.
Here is the movie about this incident (very beautiful by the way). Highly recommend look!
Galungung Influence of volcanic eruptions in 1982 on aviation not ogranililos history of flight 009. Another 5 April 1982 the aircraft DC-9 a / c Garuda was in a cloud of ash and received abrasions.
But three weeks after the incident with the British aircraft, 13 iyuyuya 1982, there was infinitely more serious. Another Boeing 747 - Airline Singapore Airlines, en route to Melbourne, virtually repeated the fate of its predecessor (remember, the investigation the last case was then still in full swing). It was night, the effects in the form of "lights of St. Elmo," etc. nalichistvovali. At this time, stopped three engines, one of which failed to start after a decline of up to 2400 m. The two engines airliner flew to Jakarta - and again there were no casualties.
After these events, if at altitudes accumulations of volcanic ash and have taken extra precautions ...
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