AlaskaAV
GONE WEST
Mission, TX
http://www.alaska.faa.gov/fai/images/COOKSU/ANC-a.jpg
At one point at Anchorage International, a KAL DC-10 cargo flight out of Anchorage had a problem on departure because the airport was socked in due to fog.
A commuter airline out of Kenai owned by a friend was approved to take the runway with a twin Piper Senaca and hold for minimums for departure on 6 L. The KAL heavy was authorized to take 24 L and hold.
The problem was that KAL took 24 R mid intersection instead of 24 L. Note: take the runway and hold for both aircraft. Also note the runway setup on the link above.
The Kenai Commuter obeyed instructions and took the runway and held as instructed. The KAL took the wrong runway and did not hold and made a rolling departure directly toward the Senaca. There was no ground radar in the tower at the time. Since he was midway to start with, there was no chance he could make it off with the fuel load to Japan making the 10 right at gross. At the last minute he apparently saw the Piper and yanked the nose up to clear the nose gear but the main gear caught the wings of the Piper but left the cabin intact more or less. All in the Piper lived only because it was an early model of the DC-10 that did not have the center truck. OK guys from Kenai, you know who the passenger are but please don't post their names unless they say it is OK. It does not change the story.
This is a situation that Douglas got in so much trouble for. The fire of the downed DC-10 was so hot the fire department at ANC let it burn itself out off the end of the runway.
When able to get in and poke around, they and NTSB found some very strange blocks of very, very heavy material. Come to find out, they were spent uranium blocks used for ballast on the DC-10 during construction but Douglas never told anyone, especially those concerned with fire control and rescue. What a surprise.
My company was having our company Christmas party at the time and we shut that down and immediately offered our available equipment to fill in for their schedules with their flight numbers. That is just what aviation was like in those days in Alaska. The commuter carrier would have done the same for us at any time too. Strange how two airline owners can fight tooth and nail over business but when the chips were down, there were no better friends in the world.
At one point at Anchorage International, a KAL DC-10 cargo flight out of Anchorage had a problem on departure because the airport was socked in due to fog.
A commuter airline out of Kenai owned by a friend was approved to take the runway with a twin Piper Senaca and hold for minimums for departure on 6 L. The KAL heavy was authorized to take 24 L and hold.
The problem was that KAL took 24 R mid intersection instead of 24 L. Note: take the runway and hold for both aircraft. Also note the runway setup on the link above.
The Kenai Commuter obeyed instructions and took the runway and held as instructed. The KAL took the wrong runway and did not hold and made a rolling departure directly toward the Senaca. There was no ground radar in the tower at the time. Since he was midway to start with, there was no chance he could make it off with the fuel load to Japan making the 10 right at gross. At the last minute he apparently saw the Piper and yanked the nose up to clear the nose gear but the main gear caught the wings of the Piper but left the cabin intact more or less. All in the Piper lived only because it was an early model of the DC-10 that did not have the center truck. OK guys from Kenai, you know who the passenger are but please don't post their names unless they say it is OK. It does not change the story.
This is a situation that Douglas got in so much trouble for. The fire of the downed DC-10 was so hot the fire department at ANC let it burn itself out off the end of the runway.
When able to get in and poke around, they and NTSB found some very strange blocks of very, very heavy material. Come to find out, they were spent uranium blocks used for ballast on the DC-10 during construction but Douglas never told anyone, especially those concerned with fire control and rescue. What a surprise.
My company was having our company Christmas party at the time and we shut that down and immediately offered our available equipment to fill in for their schedules with their flight numbers. That is just what aviation was like in those days in Alaska. The commuter carrier would have done the same for us at any time too. Strange how two airline owners can fight tooth and nail over business but when the chips were down, there were no better friends in the world.