[ACARS] Delta 129 incident at Dublin Ireland 3 February

[Jacob Struben]

ACARS mode: E  Aircraft reg: .N803DE
Message label: 80  Block id: 3  Msg. no: M55A
Flight id: DL0129
Message content:-
3C03 0129/02 KATL/EIDW
/POS KENUK        /OVR 0722/NXT EIDW         /ETA 0806
/ENS              /ALT 360/FOB 0434/SAT 50
/WND 221050/MCH 83/TRB SMOOTH  /SKY     CLEAR/ICE     NONE 
-----------------------------------------------------------[03/02/2002
07:24]

By 08:02 this MD-11 was stuck in waterlogged grass at to the left of
runway 28, having been pushed off the RWY just after touch-down by a
strong crosswind gust.  None of the crew or pax were injured,
fortunately.  The plane was lifted back onto RWY28 just after 06:00 the
next morning (4 February) after all luggage and some 9 tonnes of fuel
were taken off.  It remained on the runway until last I heard at 07:10
for inspection by Delta engineers.  There is apparently a fair bit of
damage, including a twisted nose gear leg, although the undercarriage
did not collapse.  If safe, the MD-11 will be towed to a hangar for
repairs.  The runway should be re-opened today.  Its closure meant that
only the shorter RWY16 was/is available.  With crosswind components on 3
February up to 55 knots this led to numerous diversions to Belfast and
Shannon.

Interestingly the weather at my QTH some 120 miles west of Dublin was
quite calm all day on the 3rd, with some snow in the morning.

All times in this report are GMT.

(credit for the info is due to Fergal Goodman and to Dave at Dublin
Airport)

Regards,

Jacob
-----------------------------------------------------------
Jacob Struben
Helicopter Photographs at:
http://homepage.eircom.net/~helicopters

Location: Galway, Ireland (N05316 W00903)