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Oops! Vulcan XM655 has an accident


Max Headroom

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From XM655.com:

 

Stop Press

 

September 18th Event Cancelled

 

As many of you will have already seen, XM655 suffered a runway excursion earlier today during our trial run for the event which was planned for Sunday 18th. That event has been cancelled, all ticket holders have been informed by email and full refunds have been processed via Eventbrite. As far as we can see, the aircraft is largely undamaged, but in addition to the ongoing recovery work, we also have a lot of inspection work to carry out before we can consider any further live activity.

In an attempt to reduce uninformed speculation, we will explain what happened. After satisfactorily completing low speed steering and braking tests on runway 05/23, the aircraft was taken onto runway 18/36 for a trial high speed run. Due to a malfunction of a piece of equipment in the cockpit, the aircraft remained at full power for approximately two seconds longer than intended. This resulted in excessive speed and less distance in which to stop, and the aircraft passed beyond the end of the runway on to the agricultural area, stopping just before the airfield perimeter. The failed equipment was an air speed indicator which had been tested and found satisfactory six days ago, and which started working normally before the end of the run. The aircraft brakes worked properly but were unable to bring things to a halt within the reduced space available.

We will provide further updates when XM655 has been recovered and we have had chance to assess any damage.

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That reminds me of a Boeing 747 takeoff incident (the calculated reference speeds were incorrect for the flap setting—too high—so the rotation was late). The pilot or copilot was asked, didn't the runway look too short? The reply was, all runways look too short from a 747 cockpit...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Am_Flight_845

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I have to admit when I  read this:

 

"Due to a malfunction of a piece of equipment in the cockpit, "

 

I thought, yeah the piece of equipment called the pilot. 😃 Cynical me.

 

But it was a faulty ASI it seems. So no fault of the crew. But  all's well that ends  well. 

 

I can empathise with them though. I remember landing a bit  long and a bit fast and found myself rehearsing the excuses as the hedge loomed large. It's  funny  how  your mind works in extremis. But I  stopped in time much  to  the relief of the cows in the  next field and me.

 

When I  taxyed in. I  muttered some  excuse to the ground guy when  he queried my extended landing run. 

 

Thank  goodness the Vulcan was undamaged.

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