mlk2001
10-03-2004, 08:34 PM
Jets carrying Alaska prisoners south abort flights
The Associated Press
ANCHORAGE (September 30, 8:42 am ADT) - Two jets flying Alaska prisoners to an Arizona prison on separate days this week had to abort the flights.
One lost power while attempting takeoff. The other cracked its windshield at 20,000 feet, officials told the Anchorage Daily News.
Both aircraft, an McDonnell Douglas MD-82 and a Boeing 727, were operated by the U.S. Department of Justice and were flying out of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, according to Clint Johnson, an investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board.
No one was injured on either flight, said Johnson and Portia Parker, deputy commissioner of the Alaska Department of Corrections.
Parker said her department contracts with the U.S. Marshals Service to transport large groups of prisoners to a private prison in Arizona used because there is not sufficient space in Alaska.
The MD-82 flight occurred Sunday. Johnson said the plane was speeding down a runway at the airport with 112 prisoners and 17 crew members on board, going about 90 knots. Just before lifting the nose, the pilots heard a thump and the aircraft veered slightly to the left and lost partial engine power.
The captain aborted the takeoff.
At first the crew thought the plane had blown a tire, Johnson said. A mechanic on board checked the landing gear but found no problems, Johnson said. The crew taxied back down the runway for an inspection.
The prisoners were returned to Anchorage Correctional Complex, Parker said.
An investigation revealed significant damage to the inside of one of the two engines, Johnson said. The cause is not known.
Airport officials did not find anything unusual on the runway, Johnson said.
MD-82s are in commercial use, Johnson said, so it's important to figure out exactly what happened.
The second incident occurred Monday with the same group of prisoners.
Shortly after takeoff, at about 20,000 feet, the 727's crew realized the windshield had cracked. Crew members turned around and landed back at the airport, which is standard procedure in such cases, Johnson said.
The prisoners again were returned to the jail downtown. As of Wednesday night, they were still there, said Parker. She declined to talk about future transports.
Cracked windshields happen from "time to time" due to the extremely cold temperatures of jet flight, Johnson said. The NTSB probably won't investigate the incident, he said.
The Associated Press
ANCHORAGE (September 30, 8:42 am ADT) - Two jets flying Alaska prisoners to an Arizona prison on separate days this week had to abort the flights.
One lost power while attempting takeoff. The other cracked its windshield at 20,000 feet, officials told the Anchorage Daily News.
Both aircraft, an McDonnell Douglas MD-82 and a Boeing 727, were operated by the U.S. Department of Justice and were flying out of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, according to Clint Johnson, an investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board.
No one was injured on either flight, said Johnson and Portia Parker, deputy commissioner of the Alaska Department of Corrections.
Parker said her department contracts with the U.S. Marshals Service to transport large groups of prisoners to a private prison in Arizona used because there is not sufficient space in Alaska.
The MD-82 flight occurred Sunday. Johnson said the plane was speeding down a runway at the airport with 112 prisoners and 17 crew members on board, going about 90 knots. Just before lifting the nose, the pilots heard a thump and the aircraft veered slightly to the left and lost partial engine power.
The captain aborted the takeoff.
At first the crew thought the plane had blown a tire, Johnson said. A mechanic on board checked the landing gear but found no problems, Johnson said. The crew taxied back down the runway for an inspection.
The prisoners were returned to Anchorage Correctional Complex, Parker said.
An investigation revealed significant damage to the inside of one of the two engines, Johnson said. The cause is not known.
Airport officials did not find anything unusual on the runway, Johnson said.
MD-82s are in commercial use, Johnson said, so it's important to figure out exactly what happened.
The second incident occurred Monday with the same group of prisoners.
Shortly after takeoff, at about 20,000 feet, the 727's crew realized the windshield had cracked. Crew members turned around and landed back at the airport, which is standard procedure in such cases, Johnson said.
The prisoners again were returned to the jail downtown. As of Wednesday night, they were still there, said Parker. She declined to talk about future transports.
Cracked windshields happen from "time to time" due to the extremely cold temperatures of jet flight, Johnson said. The NTSB probably won't investigate the incident, he said.