Concorde in forced landing

[DR]

A Concorde jet has been forced to land in Cardiff because of engine problems.
The BA flight, travelling from New York's JFK airport to Heathrow, landed at Cardiff International Airport at 1845 BST on Wednesday.

An airport spokeswoman said all 99 passengers were taken off the plane and are being bussed back to Heathrow.

A BA spokesman added there had been no danger to passengers or crew, and apologised for any inconvenience.

"Concorde flight BA002 was diverted into Cardiff as a temporary precaution following an engine surge in one of its four engines during the flight," he said.

"The aircraft had to fly subsonic for part of the journey, and used more fuel. As a result it had to land at Cardiff."

Engineers from a repair facility at Nantgarw Caerphilly are travelling to inpect the jet.

The American-owned facility - General Electric Aircraft Engine Servicing - regularly services Concorde engines.

An airport spokesman said the landing did not disrupt any of the regular traffic in and out of Cardiff Airport.

It is not known how long the plane will remain in Cardiff.

Concorde has landed at Cardiff on at least six occasions and is due to visit again on 23 October during a farewell tour before being retired.

Fatal crash

Concorde flights are ending next month after more than three decades of luxury travel.

Earlier this year, British Airways and Air France made simultaneous announcements that they would be permanently grounding the famous supersonic airliners.

Passenger numbers have never recovered since an Air France Concorde crashed on take-off from Paris in July 2000, killing 113 people.

Air France retired its fleet in May and in June donated the oldest of its five Concorde aircraft to the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in the US.

But BA has announced it is now considering a plan for some of its five operational planes - the oldest was built in 1976 - to perform at air shows on fly-pasts.

[walibe]

It happens to airliners all the time but because its concorde its big news. Its not like it didn't have 3 others it could use and could actually complete the flight sub sonic depending on where it was. The thing can run nicely with two engines and one engine if at speed although landing would be rather tricky.

Noticed an artical in one of the newspapers today by mr Virgin himself, Richard B still campaigning for the concorde to keep flying. BA should sell the concordes, its entirely unreasonable to allow BA to sell something it had very little to do with cost wise other than running it, its not like it developed it.

Very very sad when that things stops flying, it'll be like seeing the Vulcan fly for the last time but even more sad.

PJ

[Howard]

It's a beautiful aircraft. I hoped that one day I'd get to fly on it, but it doesn't look like I will

My mum's a big fan of Cocorde too! Let's hope it goes somewhere nice, like a museum of some sort!

[walibe]

Well the prototypes can be seen in a few museums as well, including Yeovil and Duxford. I'm praying that NONE get broken up and ALL get saved, and maybe one day a project can come together (much like the vulcan) to return one to the sky, this won't be soon due to BA forcing museums signing a contract no doubt.

PJ

[[GSV]Trig]

They just pick on the 'corde cos of that crash, IMO they should leave the old gal alone..

[Butuz]

Originally posted by [GSV]Trig
They just pick on the 'corde cos of that crash, IMO they should leave the old gal alone..

I totally agree, but at the end of the day if peeps aint flying on the Queen of Aircraft, then she cant keep her throne for very long. She'll end up being a big neverending money blackhole otherwise

Butuz
God Save The Queen (of Aircraft)

[Butuz]

Originally posted by David
Engineers from a repair facility at Nantgarw Caerphilly are travelling to inpect the jet.

The American-owned facility - General Electric Aircraft Engine Servicing - regularly services Concorde engines.

On a side note, it makes me proud that so much of the aircraft servicing/support industry is based here in Wales, in particular the south. I drive past GEAS every day on me way to work and seein those big ol' doors open with a big huge engine sitting in there brings a smile to my face as i cruse past the speed camera opposite.

At least us welsh boyos and girlos can do something damn good, even if we cant play rugby to save our lives

Butuz

[Squid0x]

I bet all the posh folk on the concorde were not best pleased to be landing in cardiff though XD!

[Butuz]

Roffle XD and then having to catch a bus and drive through wales to heathrow!!!

Butuz

[[GSV]Trig]

I bet they wondered where the f000 they were, all that hill and green stuff

[ReDOcToBeR]

Funny to think the old girl has prolly outlived many a battleship, frigate, aircraft carrier etc that were commisioned at the same time as she started flying.

Can't think of any ships names off hand but I'm sure there are a few now in the docks getting scrapped.

Just one of my mandane thoughts of the day

[Knoxville]

concorde has lasted a long time and stayerd the ultimate in luxurie travel, it'll be sad to see it grounded

[Stringent]

It is about time they came up with something else tbh ...

[Prodigy]

It'd be great to see the awful things grounded. All of them, permanently.

They're nasty ozone-destroying monsters.

[Capt Doufos]

I was under the impression they were going to keep one flying to be displayed at airshows, and for the Important occassion flypasts with the Red Arrows.

[steve threlfall]

I want to fly on concord very badly as does my dad. Sadly it looks as tho we will never get the opputunity. Grounding concord is taking a huge step back. Why not sell the fleet to virgin?