Wed, Aug 17, 2005
Sit, Jumbo, Sit
We're at something of a loss to explain how this happened.
A United Airlines 747 headed for Tokyo diverted to San Francisco
Monday with a hydraulic problem. The passengers were long gone
eleven hours after the aircraft landed when its engines were being
checked out by a crew of mechanics.
Then something rather odd happened. The aircraft tipped on its
tail, nose up in the air, as if the center of gravity had suddenly
ended up in the lavatories.
Authorities at SFO said something vague about a partial landing
gear collapse, but weren't very specific. That language was
mirrored (or perhaps originated) with United, as seen in the
statement below.
Two technicians on board the aircraft at the time weren't hurt
and on Tuesday, crews were set to drain the fuel tanks so they
could slide a giant air bag under the plane's tail and right it
again.
Personally, for its next trick, we're hoping they'll teach the
747 to roll over. You can do it, boy! Aw, c'mon. We have
treats!
UAL Statement On SFO 747 Incident
While undergoing repairs at our San Francisco maintenance
facility, a Boeing 747 aircraft was inadvertently damaged when its
gear retracted, causing the tail to rest on the ground.
Aircraft maintenance technicians were in the process of
troubleshooting a hydraulic issue at United's maintenance hangar.
The hydraulic issue caused the plane to be returned to the airport
on Monday. The flight was headed for Tokyo and returned safely to
San Francisco.
We are in the process of inspecting the damage and the cause of
the incident.
No one was injured, and repair work will begin on the aircraft
immediately.
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