JimGlasair3
Member
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2006
- Posts
- 15
JettBoii said:I was watching one of our ATR's parked in "Hotel Mode?" on D the other day when they released the prop brake; wow. No warning at all; no slow spin up just an immediate high RPM. I am surprised that no one albeit ramp personnel or a lost passenger has inaderently wondered into the area when that monster has come alive. Litigation city.
I think ASA inherited a terrible ramp design! It was built for large fuselage aircraft that "require" a jetbridge; Eastern. Is Hotel Mode what it is called when the prop brake is engaged with the turbine running?
Good Flying
The other day on "D," one of our ATR's had a mechanical failure of the prop brake, and the prop let loose, when it wasn't supposed to. The immediate action is to shut down the engine. The prop isn't supposed to turn until clear of the ramp. This may or may not have been what you saw. These airplanes are suffering major mechanical problems on nearly every leg, and are probably near the end of their useful life. As far as the incident airplane is concerned, I wouldn't cry over tearing that engine down anyway. I had the incident airplane just two legs prior, wrote up the engine for torque surges in excess of 5%. I swapped airplanes. I don't know what maintenance did to clear the write up, but it was flying again in less than an hour.
Not sure about the C-ramp, but D is overcrowded with equipment, and there are no safety zones painted. Most of the airplanes are parked two deep at the same gate. In fact, a number of the line-up lines have been changed, without re-painting. Oh yea, it was dark and raining, so the lines wouldn't have been visible anyway. It has been an accident waiting to happen. Negligence on management's part, in my opinion.
While the FO had a basic responsibility to look out for obvious hazards, on the right side, it is very difficult to see if the airplane is clear of equipment.
"Hotel mode" is when the #2 engine is running with the prop brake engaged.