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Rich on the Road

by RichardRay from Dallas, TX

Last Post 7 hours Ago


TACA Crash in Tegucigulpa
May 31, 2008 | 1:46 PM
Category: News
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During the Contra War in the mid-1980s I had occasion to fly in and out of Tegucigulpa, Honduras about half a dozen times.  I'm not a nervous flyer, generally, but Tegucigulpa's airport is scary!  It's like landing in a bowl, high in the mountains. 

 

That's why I have followed with some interest the news of a TACA Airline crash there Friday.  The plane slid off the runway, killing five.  Those of us who flew in and out of Central America back in the 80's jokingly referred to TACA (El Salvador based) as Take A Chance Airline.  I'm not sure what their safety record was but the planes always looked as if they were in need of repair. 

The accident Friday happened, reportedly, during bad weather conditions.  But, it doesn't matter when you take off or land there, it has to be near perfect.  There's no green space between the airport and the city and there have been at least two other accidents I know of where cars and buildings were clipped by planes taking off or landing.

Someone posted a great video on YouTube of a big jetliner coming into Tegucigulpa.  It illustrates what I'm talking about.

Rich

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Member Comments Total Comments: 18
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Marks read my blog view my photos
May 31, 2008 | 3:52 PM

Rich,

A similar situation can be found right here in good ol' USA. The aircraft landing in San Diego have to make a dive-bomer approach because of the buildings so close to the airport.
RichardRay read my blog view my photos
May 31, 2008 | 4:05 PM

Marks,
I've done that one, too. But, Tegucigulpa's got it beat.
Another testy one is Quito, Ecuador. Again, in the bowl of high mountain valley.
A friend of mine at church is a retired AA pilot and he was telling me the one in Chile, I think, is also tough.
Rich
scottythecomic read my blog view my photos
May 31, 2008 | 4:57 PM

San Diego being my home town, I've had some "fun" landing there. Rich, you deserve a medal for landing there but man if I wouldn't like to try it!

By the way, what special code is necessary to imbed a video in ones blog? I tried and failed the other day.

Thanks.
Studley read my blog
May 31, 2008 | 5:09 PM

LGA gives me a similar feeling to Tegucigulpa. I flew in and out of there in early 2001 in an AA 757. I call the airport the "USS LGA", since it's the closest you can get to trapping and launching from an aircraft carrier.
RichardRay read my blog view my photos
May 31, 2008 | 5:13 PM

Scotty,
There is an imbed code on the YouTube clips off to the right of the TV box.
You have to use a button on the top of this site that looks like a turning page with
inside it.
Once you click that button the whole post goes to code and you cut and paste the imbed in there.
Hope that helps.
Rich
Studley read my blog
May 31, 2008 | 5:18 PM

When I lived near New Orleans, a TACA 737 made the first-ever successful unpowered landing of a jetliner in the world, landing at the NASA facility that builds the External Fuel Tanks for the Space Shuttle.

Even more amazing is that Boeing test pilots flew the bird to MSY off the same strip after changing out the engines and turning her around.

Check out the picture: http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviati
on/read.main/3606153
Studley read my blog
May 31, 2008 | 5:24 PM

In fact, we just passed the 20th anniversary of that landing on May 24.
Studley read my blog
May 31, 2008 | 5:43 PM

Oh, and some trivia for you: Our very own Southwest Airlines currently operates this same aircraft.
TexasTruBlu read my blog view my photos
May 31, 2008 | 6:10 PM

I agree with Marks, the San Diego landing is very scary indeed. Most approaches have the jets going out over the ocean and coming back toward the mountains. There are reasons certain runways are rated for certain aircraft. It is a shame that it takes a tragedy to bring this point home.
Ironman read my blog view my photos
May 31, 2008 | 9:12 PM

Buy yourself a Microsoft flight sim. You can try it for yourself. I personaly have crashed several 747s. Very realistic.
RichardRay read my blog view my photos
May 31, 2008 | 9:39 PM

Ironman,
I'm actually scheduled to do a Lone Star Adventure with an outfit called FlyaSim. They set it up for you to get on the same simulators that airline pilots do. Should be fun. If all goes well it will be on TV three Sundays from now.
Rich
Marks read my blog view my photos
May 31, 2008 | 10:35 PM

"All goes well" Rich? Does that mean actually landing the behemoth? LOL! Good luck!
scottythecomic read my blog view my photos
Jun 1, 2008 | 6:09 AM

By the way, Rich - thanks for the advice.

I'll be looking for that segment if it airs.

Keep us posted.
Studley read my blog
Jun 1, 2008 | 6:19 AM

I think I've heard of that company - they have military birds too, so you can do aircraft carrier traps/launches.
ProudAmerican read my blog view my photos
Jun 1, 2008 | 6:27 AM

There wasn't much of a runway for that airliner to land!

I've flown in and out of San Diego on SWA, I must have missed something.

What about the airport in Hong Kong?
scottythecomic read my blog view my photos
Jun 1, 2008 | 6:54 AM

Studley, what do you fly?
RichardRay read my blog view my photos
Jun 1, 2008 | 9:35 AM

PA
Most rankings put the Hong Kong airport at the top of the most dangerous -- certainly of the big international airports. But, Tegucigalpa is not far behind.
Rich
Studley read my blog
Jun 1, 2008 | 9:25 PM

The old airport, Kai Tak, was one of the world's most dangerous. It was closed in 1998 in favor of a new airport that was built by land reclamation.
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RichardRay

RICH ON THE ROAD I am blessed with a truly remarkable job that for decades now has permitted me to see corners of the world, far and near. When I'm not on the road for Fox4 News in Dallas/Fort Worth, I'm often traveling with my wife Catherine -- occasionally on mission trips in Africa or Latin America with our home church (Prince of Peace Lutheran in Carrollton). My contribution to this page began largely as a Travel-blog -- sharing current and many of my past experiences in traveling America and the globe. I'm tryng, as we go along, to wade into a wider range of topics without getting in too much trouble. Richard Ray

Member Since: 5/29/2006


 

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