AA55 MAN-ORD 26 Feb 2011

Aviation Airlines
1

There is a thread running in the SLF section of pprune at the moment which poses this situation. On 26th Feb pax on AA55 MAN-ORD were handed letters at check-in stating that because of strong headwinds the flight would make a refuelling stop at Goose Bay. The original poster suggests that this is quote ‘an epic diversion.’
Looking at the Great Circle route map for these two stations Goose would appear to be more or less directly under the GC Route.

Question 1) So it really wasn’t such an epic after all. True?

Looking at Flightaware stats for that flight on that date, yes it did indeed divert. it also diverted two days later on the 28th February, one thing that the two dates have in common is the aircraft type. Normally the flight operates without diversion using a 757/Q. On the dates in question however the aircraft type is described as a 752/Q.

Question 2) what is the difference between a 757/Q and a 752/Q.

Any one throw any light?

Thanks.

pp

2

Don’t read anything into the aircraft type difference. It’s a data handling bug on our side from the generic IATA “757” to the ICAO “B752.” The dAArkside doesn’t have any 757s that aren’t B752s.

EGCC-KORD is one of the longest B752 flights at 3325nm; throw in stronger than normal winds (3600+nm ESAD) and a nominal passenger load (85%? 16t) you’re starting to look really marginal on the payload-range diagram.

3

Some people consider any flight that has to make an unscheduled stop, an epic diversion.

4

Thanks Guys. Appreciated.
pp