ARFF FAIL!

[vonirkinshtine]

I was watching random youtube videos, and this one of a rejected A340 takeoff test caught my eye. The test was cool, the aircraft performed really well. However, starting at 4:19 the overheated brakes finally did what they do, blew the tires up. The subsequent action (or lack thereof) by the [presumably] French firefighters is astonishing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UocxPoUUnIQ&feature=related


A couple of notes:


-No way in hell I'm getting close to an aircraft when the tires are becoming flaming projectiles.


-No SCBA?????


-Only one person on a nozzle???


If I were Airbus I would be pissed that this much damage was allowed to be done to one of my multi-million dollar test aircraft.

 

[cory y]

They do that test to see how the landing gear trucks behave with a brakes only stop, then a heat soak, then a simulated taxi to a safe area, then another heat soak. Its suppost to demostrate the time that it takes for emergency services to arrive and see what would happen.

 

[chfdbigbad]

A couple of notes:


-No way in hell I'm getting close to an aircraft when the tires are becoming flaming projectiles.


If I were Airbus I would be pissed that this much damage was allowed to be done to one of my multi-million dollar test aircraft.

Thank God for Oskosh!!, it seems like that fire got far more advnaced than it should have. why they pulled handlines when that could have been quickly and easy been knocked down from a turret from the safety of the truck.

 

[cory y]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXpjBxD0Rhg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXpjBxD0Rhg

"For certification purposes, Boeing 777 made this test to show that it can stop safely at maximum thrust, by the end of the runway, taxi for 5 minutes (the time needed for the firetrucks to reach the plane) and not catch fire from the great heat produced from the disk brakes. Very educative, enjoy."

 

[nerdly_dood]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXpjBxD0Rhg

"For certification purposes, Boeing 777 made this test to show that it can stop safely at maximum thrust, by the end of the runway, taxi for 5 minutes (the time needed for the firetrucks to reach the plane) and not catch fire from the great heat produced from the disk brakes. Very educative, enjoy."

Um, what exactly were they saying wouldn't catch fire?

 

[cory y]

The actual wheels/tires and landing gear assembly.

 

[Jennifer Rose Towing]

$750000 of damage on the 777, dang!


I had a friend killed about 15 years ago when the tractor tire he was filling blew out.


I was in a shop as they were changing a tire on my wrecker. They put the tire on a new rim. they laid it on the floor and filled it and at 100psi (105psi rated tire) the sidewall on the bottom side blew. The tire jumped about 6 feet knocking the tire guy on his ass and sand blasted my ankles. My ears hurt very bad and it felt like my right one was bleeding but was not. I still dont think they have a tire cage.


Tires are nothing to F-around with.

 

[patrol530]

Here's some damage to an FB-111A that had brake issues, which resulted in a tire failure, after a heat soak. Hot brakes aren't to be trifled with. I assisted in recovering and repairing this aircraft, at Phoenix International, back in the early 80's-


Speedbrake & blown tire.

 

[Mike L.]

The video seems to be the norm with ARFF. It looked to me like the two FFs were packed up though couldn't tell very well. I don't think I have ever seen any scba's on our 4 crash trucks, I will have to ask next time I have lunch with the FF's. I do know that our two Stryker's have a air purification system.


A Boeing 777 costs around $200 million dollars - $750,000 for landing gear is cheap in comparasion.