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A388 QF94 LAX - MEL returns to LAX. Fuel pump issue

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4.5 hours in to the flight VH-OQK returns to LAX. Warnings of a (or multiple) fuel pump failures. 9 hours in the air and back where they started. Safely. (www.google.com) Daha Fazlası...

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PhotoFinish
PhotoFinish 2
Why are 787 fuel pump diverts newsworthy and even for some eodwnce of a failed plane. But when an A380 has the same routine mx diversion, no one cares. Just figured it would be worth pointing out the collective hypocrisy.
preacher1
preacher1 1
If it was that serious, I can't believe they didn't divert to HNL. If it wasn't that serious, I wonder why they just didn't go on, although that might have been too big of a stretch.
preacher1
preacher1 1
And you are correct on the hypocrisy
canuck44
canuck44 1
A divert to HNL would have made a whole lot more sense from many points of view, safety being at the top of the list. Losing the pumps on the good side would be embarrassing whereas putting it down on the Islands might inconvenience the Engineers but give the passengers a 16 hour vacation in the sun rather than being stuck in LA. Those having urgent need to reach MEL could be accommodated on other flights.

This was obviously a decision made by the Administrators with Customer Service left out.
joelwiley
joel wiley 2
The customer to whom service counts is the shareholder. I imagine they saved $0.33 per head on LAX over HNL. Walk-on cattle don't count.
PhotoFinish
PhotoFinish 1
An extra 9-10 hours of jet fuel for an A380 is not an insignificant expense.

The savings from not wasting all that fuel would've gone far to help defray the costs of pasenger and crew accommodations in HNL, plus the cost of getting a couple of engineers and necessary parts on the next available flight out of LAX.

Plus the plane would be about 5 hours closer to its' intended destination.
preacher1
preacher1 1
The divert to HNL might have made more sense, but andyc852 made the point that he didn't think HNL could handle the 380, as per no scheduled service. True emergency yes but probably not good otherwise
canuck44
canuck44 1
LOL...so true. There is a lot of Pacific Ocean that could handle a 388 if the pumps on the other side failed.

As navigation students we were taught when non-duplicate positions were obtained from two fixes we were to place ourselves at the nearest point to danger. If you have two crappy pumps on the port side, what are the odds of the same problem on the starboard feeds. I would favor HNL with a cherry picker to disembark.
preacher1
preacher1 1
As you said earlier, this was obviously an administrative decision and not customer service.
PhotoFinish
PhotoFinish 1
At over 9 hours total flight time that would put the plane at diversion at about 4 1/2 to 5 hours out, which should be over or near the Hawaiian islands.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/QFA94/history/20140418/0630Z/KLAX/KLAX

Yep, turned around just shy of the islands. Aren't there A380 mechanics or replacement A380 fuel pumps available at HNL? Couldn't a fuel pump get shipped out in the belly of the next of many daily LAX-HNL flights.

The mechanics could get started while the pump traveled from LAX (or wherever there was supply avail). The plane would've been nearly 5 hours closer to its' destination without turning back. The plane and passengers would've spent 9-10 fewer hours flying unnecessarily.
joelwiley
joel wiley 1
Looks like about 220 - 240 miles off Oahu along V-12.
Would have saved some gas stopping there.
blueashflyer
blueashflyer 1
upon first entry into service, A380 had a lot of diverts due to fuel pump issues. I believe there are 11 fuel pumps in the wings. If they are not all working, you could get a dangerous fuel imbalance. Trouble is, when yo
blueashflyer
blueashflyer 1
Trouble is, when you cancel an A380 flight, you have to call up TWO 747s just to get the passengers to their destination. EXPENSIVE.
andyc852
Can HNL accept and accommodate the A380?. Considerations would be the ability to unload passengers and maneuver on the taxiways. I am not aware of any other A380 service to HNL so the likelihood of a trained mechanic (let alone the parts) would be an issue.
Agree that if this had been a full blown emergency that HNL should have bee the choice
preacher1
preacher1 2
Good Point
joelwiley
joel wiley 1
Google shows a few diversions there, and a couple of demonstrator flights, so the runway can handle them. Getting the folks off may be a problem.
sgbelverta
sharon bias 0
ANA is now flying 380's to Honolulu and are part of the Star Alliance. I'm sure (for a fee) they'd loan out a mechanic to work on the plane. Honolulu also has a good Customs Department in case anyone wasn't going to get back on that plane and had to clear customs.

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