Air France's A380 clips Comair CRJ at JFK

[scoreboardII]

yes and no. In the FAA's paradise of aviation laws there's also a FAR that specifies aircraft clearances on taxiway to stationary objects (parked aircraft, buildings etc).

YES and YES, the AF captain screwed the pooch or shall I say Poodle. You are in error applying a clearance rule for parked aircraft when the RJ was clearly not parked, just stopped.

 

[hatetoadmitit]

I think a little speed tape and they both should be good to go! Looks like a "mere flesh wound" on both of them!

 

[Brazilgun]

Whoops... the pilot must have been texting his BFF Pierre

 

[brokeflyer]

its the union's fault....

 

[clr4theapch]

Needed to move the thread to this section.. sorry.. the rules..

 

[Caveman]

Needed to move the thread to this section.. sorry.. the rules..

What?!?

You guys are getting carried away with this stuff. The topic includes a foreign carrier, a major, a regional, domestic ops, safety, etc, etc and it's a big news story involving aviation and JFK. Why would you move it just because it has the words "Air France" in it? Use some common sense.

 

[clr4theapch]

If you really think you can do better.. step up to the plate sir... until your on this side of the screen.. and volunteer your time.. just be a member and enjoy the site.. I don't tell you how to fly your airplane....

 

[pair_of_pratts]

Pics

A380 Wing Tip
CRJ Tail Side View
CRJ Tail Front View

 

[Redan]

It looks like more damage was done to the 380 than the rj. sounds like the rj guys should be getting "A380 Killer" stickers. Ill bet the rj could have flown after the accident- the 380, not so much.

The RJ could have flown? That's sarcasm right?

 

[CaptJax]

JFK Runway Collision - Dangers On The Ground

JFK runway collision spotlights dangers on the ground
By Alan Levin, USA TODAY

The violent collision Monday night between a double-decker Airbus A380 and a regional jet at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport is a sobering reminder that the ground can be a dangerous place for an airliner.

Air France Flight 7, flying the largest passenger plane in the world, was taxiing toward takeoff at 8:08 p.m. when its left wing struck the tail of a Comair jet, hitting with such force that it spun the small jet around like a top. The collision was captured on video.

"Roll the emergency trucks at Mike," one of the Comair pilots radioed moments after the collision, identifying his location at taxiway Mike. "We've been hit by Air France."

None of the passengers on board the two jets were hurt. The pilots on Comair Flight 6293 ordered passengers to make an emergency exit on the tarmac and called for fire trucks, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Jim Peters says.

The violence of the collision, which appears to have been capable of causing serious damage, indicates that the event needs to be taken seriously, aviation safety experts say.

"This was a significant collision that clearly has safety implications," Bill Voss, president of the non-profit Flight Safety Foundation, says.
The NTSB is investigating the collision, spokesman Keith Holloway says.
The potential for accidents on the ground has gotten a great deal of attention from the National Transportation Safety Board during the past decade. The agency has issued numerous recommendations calling for improved safety measures to prevent aircraft from colliding on runways. Several recent investigations have focused on planes that skidded off runways after botched takeoff or landing attempts.

While accidents on airport taxiways — where jets are moving at more moderate speeds — have not been as big an issue, the impact at JFK illustrates that the broader issue of ground safety requires continued attention, Voss says.

"You could have ended up rupturing a fuel tank and it could have been much more serious," he says.

Another issue that will be considered by NTSB investigators is the massive size of the A380, which has two floors of passenger seating and typically seats about 525 people. The wings span 262 feet, which is 50 feet wider than the next largest jet, the Boeing 747-400.

The FAA had certified the A380 to operate on JFK's 75-foot wide taxiways, but it is reasonable to ask whether the congested airport's dimensions are adequate for the massive plane, aviation safety consultant John Cox says.
Cox says pilots have to rely on the safety of airport layouts to ensure that they don't clip other planes because they frequently can't even see their wing tips.

"It's very difficult to judge, particularly in a wide body aircraft, how far away you are from objects," Cox says.

 

[wmuflyguy]

Has anyone listened to the ATC tapes? The controller tells AF to hold short of a taxiway and AF taxied through it hitting the RJ and secondly when AF called to taxi the ground controller asked him if he wanted an escort. AF turned it down. The RJ was waiting for a gate and stopped. I don't care where the RJ stopped; clearly the AF crew is responsible for their wing. Being dark and raining sure didn't help. Btw, last October, an AF A380 hit another plane in Paris. Clearly they have issues with taxing and their wingtip clearance. At LAX it's mandatory for an A380 to have an escort. You can expect this to be implimented at JFK now I'm sure.

The intersection he was told to hold short of (E) is much further away (about half way around the airport) than where the accident occurred. Also, the intersection KD where he was instructed to give way to traffic was further ahead to (1/2 mile or so). Didn't sound like he violated any clearances from what i heard.