Botched recovery, Falcon 900 stuck in snow

[hpaircraft]

This one is fun because nobody was physically injured. However, several people are going to be looking for new jobs.



(Click picture to open FB video)

Long story short, on 1 April 2023 a Falcon 900 bizjet ran off the runway at Aspen and was stuck in snow. Someone thought it would be a good idea to try towing the jet back up onto the runway with a strap attached at the bottom of the nosewheel strut near the wheel's axle. Predictably, the nosewheel strut's drag link failed, the strut folded forward, and the jet's nose fell to the uneven ground, inflicting somewhere in the neighborhood of $2-$5 million in damage.

 

[dik]

...at least they didn't put a logging chain around the fusilage... I've designed nose tethering for Boeing 747s... Boeing didn't recommend this, but they provided the design loading...

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

Its quiet a common event trying to recover an off road aircraft.

And airport conditions of use means its the operators problem when it happens.

They have a right to clear the runway with what ever means required including bulldozer if they want.

 

[MintJulep]

Our of curiosity, what is the "approved procedure" for unstucking a stuck plane?

 

[davidbeach]

Didn't Alfred Nobel come up with that solution a century plus ago? ;-)

I’ll see your silver lining and raise you two black clouds. - Protection Operations

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

There are specialist teams, there is a good one in the south of England that covers Manchester to the south. The company has to organise something pretty quick if they don't then they basically throw a strop round the gear and pull it.

Nobody with any form of licence that can start the engines will be anywhere near when they do that option.

The pro recovery crews have.

They have big inflatable bags and load spreading boggies which seem to be quite effective.

Was witness to a cracker in Birmingham UK. Some techs were doing eng ground runs and we had just commented that it was a stupid place to do it pointing off apron onto grass. Then they let rip with all 4 hairdryers at the same time. It jumped of the chocks like a cat springing on a mouse and promptly sank

 

[Sparweb]

Mobile crane and lifting straps (lots) round the belly IMO would be a better procedure.

 

[TugboatEng]

Round the wings, better still.

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

they have specified lifting points which the oem details if you lift them in the wrong place you bend the tube or the wing box and its a write off.

there are jacking points which they use regularly to test the gear for various checks.

there is also lifting points which seem to required fuel tank panels removed and the tanks unsealed.

But this is way outside my area of competency. I haven't gone off road in 20 years. Its a very specialised issue and normal B1's don't go near it either.

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

tug the wings are actually very fragile in certain areas away from the main spar. you can't even walk on them.

the airbag lift and load spreading boogies seems to work best with minimal damage.

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

thia ia how Ukrainian pilots deal with it fire wall the fecker and keep it moving.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMwNBhGhWF8

 

[dik]

Smooth, inflatable air bags (toboggans) lifting it clear of the snow would seem like a pretty good way to do it... possibly towing from straps around the wings near the fusilage.

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[JStephen]

This reminded me of an incident from my youth:

https://blog.chron.com/bayoucityhistory/2012/07/40-years-later-the-day-a-727-landed-at-lake-jackson/

No, I wasn't the hijacker, just lived in the area. I remember we drove out by the airport just to see the plane there.
What I remember hearing is that the wheels actually broke through the asphalt where it was parked. Article doesn't mention that, so no telling if that was the case.
What I recall reading not too long back, also not mentioned in the article, was that the local sheriff's method of dealing with them was to cut power on the plane and just let it set there in the sun. (Lake Jackson is not super hot, but it's warm enough and usually VERY humid, so it'd be very very miserable in a hurry in there.)