UA840 Cancelled - 22/4

[Stuart Trevena]

Hi All,

UA840 has been Cancelled today - 22/4

The B744 Aircraft landed in Melbourne and proceeded to the gate, where it appears from comments, that it overshot the bay hitting the jetway and punching a hole into its wing.

From the Melbourne Hearld Sun

United Airways jet hits aerobridge while parking at Melbourne Airport
Aleks Devic
From:Herald Sun
April 22, 201312:29PM


A UNITED Airways plane has clipped an aerobridge while parking at Melbourne Airport, leaving its wing with significant damage.

The plane was arriving from Los Angeles, via Sydney, when the accident happened, stunning passengers.

In a brief statement to the Herald Sun a United Airways spokesman said the crash happened as the plane was trying to pull into the loading bay.

"There were no injuries reported. The passengers and crew deplaned via stairs and our maintenance team is inspecting the Boeing 747 aircraft," the spokesman said.


Melbourne Airport spokeswoman Anna Gillett said the jet way was now inoperable.

"The aircraft overshot the parking bay," she said.

"We are investigating the cause of the crash."

Monash University Professor Michael Asten saw the incident unfold from his seat and said passengers were left stranded on the plane for 50 minutes with little information coming through.

"The plane landed and it continued to roll at a slow speed for a few seconds and then crashed into the jet way," he told the Herald Sun today.

"There was this loud distinctive crash that you would get in a decent size car park bingle."

He said the plane was about 4m away from the jet way with a hole in the wing measuring about 40cm.

Mr Asten said there was little information coming from the cabin crew and many passengers had no idea why they were not getting off the plane.

United Airways flight UA840 has been cancelled.

Stuart

[Adrian B]

Picture in The Age article
The Age

[Ryan K]

Who says United doesn't have good inflight entertainment!!

[Andrew M]

Just head on the 7 news and they called it "American Airlines" and an "Aerodeck" hit the plane...

Gotta love the media

[Sarah C]

I give them credit for getting the right continent and they didn't call it an A380.

[Brian Hoy]

What you mean they didn't report it as a QANTAS A380?

[Adrian B]

Here is an image of the resting place
Herald Sun

[Andrew M]

Now forgive me if I am way off, but with the aerobridge in that location, wouldn't the pilot/s have some idea that it's no-where near the right location ?

[Noel White]

Originally Posted by Andrew M

wouldn't the pilot/s have some idea that it's no-where near the right location ?

Yes

It's a wonder that the a/c nose wasn't inside the building as well.

[Radi K]

The Nose In Guidance System (NIGS) in Melbourne is renown for not being very good! Many overshoots or undershoots even though the system says you are in the right spot.

Whispers are that the NIGS were set to another aircraft type (A330) and not for the 744.

It's still to be seen if other factors were at play. Was the bridge in the right place? Was the aircraft following the centreline? Was it being towed onto bay? Did it suffer a mechanical problem. Was the aircraft not even using the NIGS and being hand marshalled onto the bay. All will come out soon I'm sure.