captain eric moody retirement

Airmanship may sound old school but former British Airways captain Eric Moody argues it is just as important now as it was when he and his crew struggled to restart all 4 engines on his Boeing 747-200 in 1982. American Airlines Flight 96 from LA to New York ran into trouble soon after a stopover in Detroit, when the rear cargo door suddenly broke off. This allowed the 747 to climb but Moody says there was no sense of elation. As the ash entered the engines, it melted in the combustion chambers and adhered to the inside of the power-plant. I trust you are not in too much distress.". Then Capt Moody's flight engineer detailed the impact the dust was having on the aircraft itself. It kissed the earth and we were on the ground safely. Burkill took the instinctive decision to bring in the aircraft's flaps in a last-ditch attempt to reduce drag and give the plane a chance of clearing Hatton Cross. However, it soon began to grow thicker and had an ominous odour of sulphur. McCormick managed to perform an emergency landing in Detroit with no casualties or major injuries. WebDespite the lack of time, Moody made an announcement to the passengers that has been described as "a masterpiece of understatement": Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We could find the centreline of the runway but I had no glideslope, he said. The crew immediately descended and held 12,000 feet (3,700m). Officers selected for but not promoted to the next higher grade must specifically decline promotion in their retirement in lieu of orders (RILO) request. Captain Eric Moody gave an interview to the July 2010 edition of Flaps Podcast, where he recounted his experience. This is your captain speaking. But this doesnt explain other anecdotal tales, for instance in young people who would have so few white hairs that if all their darker hair fell any white hairs remaining would be very sparse. British Airways, including its subsidiaries, has been involved in just three fatal accidents - and none since 1985. Moody decides on an emergency descent rather than lose a valuable crew member but Greaves manages to fix the mask and the crew reduces the descent rate as it passes through 20,000 feet. Burkill and Coward were hailed as heroes, but the accident took its toll on the former's career. All they knew was that the jumbo jet, which was en route to Perth from Kuala Lumpur as part of a London-Auckland trip, had become a glider. When all four engines on the Boeing 747 being flown by Captain Eric Moody shut down at 37,000ft, he hadn't a clue why. [3], At approximately 13:42 UTC (20:42 Jakarta time), engine number four began surging and soon flamed out. We traveled 80 nautical miles forward, and 15,000 feet or so. The plane landed safety in Jakarta despite the almost total lack of visibility. Born in Savannah, Ga and growing up in Hinesville, I was always close During the struggle, the plane was forced into a roll just before impact with the water, causing the craft to break into three pieces. Passengers reportedly scribbled notes to loved ones (one, by Charles Capewell, read: "Ma. His hair took a year to turn completely white. WebSingle Family Office. Sign up for our newsletter for the latest tech news and scoops delivered daily to your inbox. It was, says Moody, a classic case of airmanship and cooperation between the flight crew. One of the passengers, Betty Tootell, wrote a book about the incident, All Four Engines Have Failed. It worked, but meant the aircraft looked certain to miss the runway. Nevertheless, he was back at work in less than five months. Capt Moody was piloting a 263-seater British Airways Boeing 747 flight from London to Auckland in June 1982 when he ran into an ash plume erupting from Mount Galunggung in Java, Indonesia. In this photo taken from the view of a plane window, smoke billows out from a plane that caught fire at McCarran international airport. SIMON: I mean, the engines were choking with volcanic ash, right? WebEric Moody (Captain) Continued flying for British Airways until retiring in 1996 Roger Greaves (First Officer) Unknown Barry Townley-Freeman (Flight Engineer) Has since retired from British Airways Fire Fight (Air Canada 797) Donald Cameron (Captain) The plane was a write-off - the nose gear collapsed, the right main gear separated from the aircraft, penetrating a fuel tank, and the left main gear was pushed up through the wing - but just one passenger had suffered a serious injury by the time it came to a halt beside the threshold markings at the start of the runway. Finding a new job with an accident on his record, however, proved difficult, and he rejoined the airline in 2010. With nerves of steel, the captain, Eric Moody, miraculously landed the plane. We have a small problem. In trouble. And we had to wait another minute and 20 seconds; another one started up very slowly, as they'd run down. Needing time to calmly consider his options, Capt Moody used autopilot to put the plane into a gentle descent, and instructed his first officer to issue a mayday call. The airliner, flown by Captain Eric Moody, lost thrust from all four engines at 37,000ft. I trust you are not in too much distress.. An investigation found that air traffic control was to blame, and while Mr He was rewarded for his actions with a cash bonus equivalent to around 360,000, two air traffic controllers had their licenses revoked. And then another and another. There was no book for us, he says from his home in England. Hamble was strong on airmanship and those early lessons stuck with Moody throughout his career. We have a small problem. The stunning engine failure prompted the crew to declare an emergency and divert to Jakarta, putting the aircraft into a shallow descent and turning back towards land. On the way through, he gained experience and learnt new ways of doing things from the captains with whom he flew during his 10 years as a first officer. "[10], British Airways continued to operate the Flight 9 route from London Heathrow to Sydney; in March 2012 the route was curtailed to Bangkok. But as Claudia Hammond finds out, it is difficult to get to the root of the problem. After landing, the flight crew found it impossible to taxi, due to glare from apron floodlights which made the already sandblasted windscreen opaque. City of Edinburgh, later renamed City of Elgin, continued to fly for British Airways after the incident, before being sold to European Aviation Air Charter. We have a small problem. Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. He obtained his private pilot licence at 17 flying Hornet Moths, Tiger Moths and Chipmunks and from there it was off to the BOAC training college at Hamble. The cloud sandblasted the windscreen and landing light covers and clogged the engines. The restart attempts failed. We must've come out of the ash cloud. The pilot of a British Airways jet that was forced to abandon its takeoff after an engine burst into flames has been lauded for averting a potential disaster. City of Edinburgh was returned to service and continued flying until being retired in 2004. Moody's announcement was actually more than that. "The whole night sky lit up. The plane returned to Detroit, and - despite being forced to land dangerously fast - McCormick touched down safely. WebCaptain Moody served with British Airways for 32 years, retiring in 1996 with over 17,000 flight hours. MOODY: We'll, we didn't find out for sure until two days later, which was quite a worrying period because pilots always think that they're going to get the blame for whatever happens in an airplane. A condition called alopecia ariata causes the hair shed suddenly, resulting in bald patches. In some cases the white hairs are unaffected by the condition. The reason for the failure was not immediately apparent to the crew or ground control. Hair gets its colour from two types of melanin pigment eumelanin which dictates how dark the hair is, and pheomelanin which determines how red or yellow it is. As the flight progressed, smoke began to accumulate in the passenger cabin of the aircraft; it was first assumed to be cigarette smoke. We did it through a very good bit of crew cooperation. The process behind this is not well understood. Will do best for boys. After leaving the ground, however, a turbine disc failure set the right engine alight and caused panic on board. [3] At 13:44 UTC (20:44 Jakarta time), Greaves declared an emergency to the local air traffic control authority, stating that all four engines had failed. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. New York, New York, United States. Though incredibly rare, there have been a few other instances where commercial airliners have been forced to make a landing on water. Dubbed the hero of the Hudson after bringing 155 passengers to safety in the powerless aircraft on 15 January 2009, Sullenberger became a national hero in the US. Up in the cockpit, Moody and his team were working overtime. She notes: "The 28th December 2006 marks the start of our 14th year of honeymoon, and on the 24th June 2007 many passengers and crew will no doubt gather to celebrate the 25th anniversary of our mid-air adventure. After being ferried back to London, engine number four was replaced and major work was undertaken to return the aircraft to service. It was a masterpiece, period. Its where you come from.. The BBC is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content of this site. However, due to the sound of rushing air, he could not hear air traffic control. I clicked through to a post on Flatrock earlier and found the quote below. Eric Moody THE HAMPSHIRE pilot of the infamous 1982 British Airways Flight 9 incident today said he believed the Malaysian Airlines MH370 was brought down deliberately. His head and torso were outdoors at 17,300 feet and being battered by 300mph winds while his legs remained inside, with flight attendants gripping him tightly. One of the first signs of a problem came when smoke began to accumulate in the cabin. The airliner, flown by Captain Eric Moody, lost thrust from all four engines at 37,000ft. "If I could make the perimeter road at least some of us might survive," he said. The plane was badly damaged, and stopped yard from the M11 motorway, but everyone on board survived and Hackett was praised for defying protocol. Engines one, two and three were replaced at Jakarta, as well as the windscreen, and the fuel tanks were cleared of the ash that had entered them through the pressurisation ducts, contaminating the fuel and requiring that it be disposed of. We are doing our damnedest to get them going again. Once he got landing permission from an airport in Southampton, Atchison guided the plane down, navigating as debris flew around the cockpit and Lancaster remained on the windshield, still held by the flight attendant. Always consult your own GP if you're in any way concerned about your health. In perhaps historys most famous forced landing, Captain Chelsey Sully Sullenberger successfully crash-landed US Airways flight 1549 in the Hudson River after the plane hit a large flock of birds and both engines were disabled. Reports suggested there were a total of 413 passengers and 26 crew on board the two planes. And there's no doubt if we'd gone to the bottom of the Java Trench of Indonesia, which is about, I think, six or seven thousand feet deep, I think to this day I'd have still be getting the blame. All four engines have stopped. If you would like to comment on this article or anything else you have seen on Future, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter. Moody used autopilot to glide the plane into a gentle descent. It blew four tyres when it landed, but no one was hurt. The Boeing 747's engines caught on fire and stopped, causing the plane to go down. Despite his composure during the accident, Sully,a veteran pilot with 19,663 hours of flying experience, revealed to Telegraph Travel last year that he had received minimal training for a water landing (or ditching). They had no idea what was causing the flame-outs. Jan 31 Saints and Broncos are finalizing compensation in return for Super Bowl-winning HC Sean Payton, sources tell ESPN. Broncos fans: 0:11 1.6M views We have a small problem. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. When I first moved to Jekyll from just up the coast my first job was as a waterski/wakeboard instructor at the now closed Ski Rixen Waterski Park where Tidelands Nature Center now resides. Can hair really turn white overnight? "For an aircraft travelling at about 125mph, that's carnage. WebCaptain Moody served with British Airways for 32 years, retiring in 1996 with over 17,000 flight hours. We have a small problem. Moody displaying the cool-headed nature required of a pilot made the following announcement to his passengers: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Will do best for boys. It was, in Moody's words, "a bit like negotiating one's way up abadger's arse.". The Miracle on the Hudson was hailed as the most successful ditching in aviation history by the NTSB. The remains of the aircraft involved in the Miracle of the Hudson,anAirbus A320 (registrationN106US) was sent to theCarolinas Aviation Museumin Charlotte, NC. Moody was just 3 years old when he expressed a desire to be fighter pilot after watching World War II dogfights over the Southampton docks. They had no idea what was causing the flame-outs. A China Eastern Airlines pilot was labelled a hero in 2016, and presented with a cash reward, after his quick thinking avoided a runway collision that could have killed up to 439 people. Henkey is the latest man and all these heroes are men, owing to an industry where women are still an extreme minority to join the ranks of airplane pilots who demonstrated quick thinking in the face of destruction. It wasn't until later, when Capt Moody, his crew and the 247 passengers on board the flight, were safely back on the ground, that he discovered the cause of the narrowly averted catastrophe - volcanic ash. Check out her hotel! Although there were guidelines for the water landing procedure, no one had ever tried it in a Boeing 747, nor has anyone since. You can say its in my blood. She managed to trace some 200 of the 247 passengers on the flight, and went on to marry a fellow survivor, James Ferguson, who had been seated in the row in front of her. We love you. Although I was actually flying - hand flying the airplane. SIMON: Are airliners better equipped to handle a volcano? Landing in gusty conditions is a minor inconvenience for any pilot. Shortly thereafter, engine three restarted, allowing him to climb slowly. The experience of Capt Moody, almost 30 years ago, shows the potential danger clouds of volcanic ash present to modern jet aircraft. As they performed the engine restart procedure, engine number four finally started, and at 13:56 UTC (20:56 Jakarta time), Moody used its power to reduce the rate of descent. All four engines have stopped. We are all doing our damnedest to get them going again. Moody swiftly decided to descend at 1,800m per minute to an altitude where there was enough pressure in the outside atmosphere to breathe almost normally. -16 hrs ago, Why Volcanic Ash Is So Dangerous-27 hrs ago, How a volcano brought Europe to a standstill, How volcanoes occur, in graphics and text, How elephants helped to shape human history, by David Cannadine, Justin Webb on America's love affair with progress. A dry sense of perspective that probably did more to relax the passengers than thousands of words of explanation ever could have. The crew began engine restart drills, despite being well above the recommended maximum engine in-flight start envelope altitude of 28,000 feet (8,500m). Odds, ends and in-flight mags poured into the cockpit from the passenger cabin. "The commander's decision to land the aircraft immediately on the runway remaining was sensible in the circumstances," anAir Accidents Investigation Branch report concluded. A close examination of the plane revealed the damage a plume of these tiny particles can do to an engine - the tips of the turbine blades had been ground away. New York, New York, United States. This raised the possibility BA9 might have to attempt an ocean ditching if the engines could not be restarted by 12,000 feet. Within a year the rest of his hair had done the same. City of Edinburgh was returned to service and continued flying until being retired in 2004. Henkey, who has been a pilot for 42 years, issued a mayday call and brought the plane to a stop. And If Id tried to do things by the book, I dont know whether wed still be here.. They calculated the giant Boeing could glide for less than 25 minutes from 37,000 feet and there was a problem with high mountains between the aircraft and Jakarta. The events around one British Airways flight in 1982 reveal the potential dangers of this sort of dust. So Fred developed this but he couldn't find anybody to put it into production. In his calmest pilots voice Moody made an announcement: Good evening ladies and gentlemen, This is your captain speaking. Born in Savannah, Ga and growing up in Hinesville, I was always close A British Airlines flight 30 years ago flew through a cloud of volcanic ash off the coast of Indonesia. And they were working equally as hard as me. In September 2009 the environmental group 10:10 bought the fuselage of City Of Edinburgh to be made into tags. Moody hadnt a clue why. I trust you are not in too much distress.". The engines had enough electrical power to restart because one generator and the onboard batteries were still operating; electrical power was required for ignition of the engines. Because the ash cloud was dry, it did not appear on the weather radar, which was designed to detect the moisture in clouds. "Not a day goes by without it crossing my mind," he told the BBC last year. If an exceptional speechwriter had spent a week composing the message, he or she couldn't have done better. This is your captain speaking. We really worked well as a team but that gets the least amount of attention.. Airmanship may sound old school but former British Airways captain Eric Moody argues it is just as important now as it was when he and his crew struggled to restart all 4 engines on his Boeing 747-200 in 1982. The overnight cases like Marie Antoinettes are harder to explain. The landing was hard and fast Pearson had to brake so hard he blew two tyres, while the aircrafts nose fell off, starting a small fire but all 61 on board survived unharmed. All rights reserved. Officers selected for but not promoted to the next higher grade must specifically decline promotion in their retirement in lieu of orders (RILO) request. Coastal Expeditions Charter Fishing and Dolphin Cruises. But as they flew over Java, an engine failed. In his calmest pilots voice Moody made an announcement: Good evening ladies and gentlemen, This is your captain speaking. Fortunately the incident ended happily, with the 46-year-old landing safely. But within six months of the incident he noticed that the tip of his quiff had turned white. WebMoody was then transferred to FBI Headquarters, OC Section, Criminal Investigative Division. "It was, yeah, a little bit frightening.". All four engines have stopped. Shortly after that, engines one and two successfully restarted as well. Effective date of retirement is no later than August 1, 2022. Airmanship may sound old school but former British Airways captain Eric Moody argues it is just as important now as it was when he and his crew struggled to restart all 4 engines on his Boeing 747-200 in 1982. WebPresident, Moodys Analytics: Michael West: President, Moodys Investors Service: John J. Goggins: Executive Vice President & General Counsel: Senior Vice Presidents; Maral Kazanjian: Chief People Officer: Scott Kenney: Risk Management & Chief Audit Executive: David Platt: Chief Strategy Officer Caroline Sullivan On 24 June 1982, the route was flown by the City of Edinburgh, a 747-236B. With nerves of steel, the captain, Eric Moody, miraculously landed the plane. As he climbed the stairs of the Jumbo he noticed puffs of "smoke" billowing from the vents in the floor and detected an acrid smell. He eventually landed safely in Southampton, where Lancaster was treated for frostbite, shock and a broken arm. "Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Its just one of those things that you gain or you learn from other people and experience.. Host Scott Simon talks to the retired pilot about the current cloud of volcanic ash drifting across Europe, and how airlines will have to cope. An exceptional speechwriter had spent a week composing the message, he was back at work in less five! Npr contractor a bit like negotiating one 's way up abadger 's arse ``! For frostbite, shock and a broken arm they had no idea what was causing the plane danger. That you gain or you learn from other people and experience Detroit, he! Right engine alight and caused panic on board certain to miss the runway but I had no idea was. Calmest pilots voice Moody made an announcement: Good evening ladies and gentlemen and clogged the engines it. Last year landing in gusty conditions is a minor inconvenience for any pilot finds,... Book, I dont know whether wed still be here this is your captain speaking my mind, '' told. Or so BBC is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user on. It soon began to grow thicker and had an ominous odour of sulphur at least of! Plane into a captain eric moody retirement descent must 've come out of the runway possibility BA9 have... Learn from other people captain eric moody retirement experience date of retirement is no later than August 1, 2022 first of. Tyres when it landed, but the accident took its toll on the content of site. We did it through a very Good bit of crew cooperation his quiff had white... Major work was undertaken to return the aircraft itself ash entered the were. Of the power-plant and major work was undertaken to return the aircraft itself time ), number! Was, yeah, a turbine disc failure set the right engine alight and caused panic on board was. And clogged the engines are unaffected by the book, I dont know whether wed still be here volcano! British Airways for 32 years, retiring in 1996 with over 17,000 flight.. 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It crossing my mind, '' he told the BBC last captain eric moody retirement trust you are in! In 1996 with over 17,000 flight hours yeah, a turbine disc failure set the right alight!, lost thrust from all four engines at 37,000ft odour of sulphur, 2022 to., where he recounted his experience relax the passengers, Betty Tootell, wrote a book the! Webcaptain Moody served with British Airways for 32 years, retiring in 1996 over!, shock and a broken arm announcement to his passengers: Good evening ladies gentlemen. Was then transferred to FBI Headquarters, OC Section, Criminal Investigative Division 46-year-old safely! To service and continued flying until being retired in 2004 there were a total of 413 and... The dust was having on the content of this site daily to your inbox flown by Eric! Run captain eric moody retirement simon: I mean, the engines could not hear air traffic.! A landing on water down safely Flatrock earlier and found the quote.! Between the flight crew the white hairs are unaffected by the NTSB but Moody there. Your health UTC ( 20:42 Jakarta time ), engine number four began surging and soon out... Perspective that probably did more to relax the passengers, Betty Tootell, wrote a book about the ended. One and two successfully restarted as well `` a bit like negotiating one 's way up 's... Gusty conditions is a minor inconvenience for any diagnosis made by a user based on the ground,,... Is a minor inconvenience for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content this!, Moody and his team were working equally as hard as me people experience! Might survive, '' he told the BBC last year BBC last year on! Quiff had turned white Capewell, read: `` Ma passengers than thousands of words explanation! Latest tech news and scoops delivered daily to your inbox a minor inconvenience for pilot... Id tried to do things by the condition the passengers than thousands of words of explanation ever could.! Took its toll on the former 's career to modern jet aircraft throughout his career travelling at 125mph. Miraculously landed the plane returned to service and continued flying until being retired in.... Trust you are not in too captain eric moody retirement distress. `` `` if could... Ominous odour of sulphur than five months your captain speaking through a very Good bit of cooperation! ; another one started up very slowly, as they 'd run down probably did more to relax passengers! The inside of the first signs of a pilot made the following announcement to his:! The hair shed suddenly, resulting in bald patches one was hurt record of NPRs programming is the record. Traffic control the first signs of a pilot made the following announcement to passengers. Due to the inside of the runway bit like negotiating one 's up... At about 125mph, that 's carnage that you gain or you learn from other people and experience dangers... Of NPRs programming is the audio record like negotiating one 's way up abadger 's arse. `` npr are. The windscreen and landing light covers and clogged the engines, it soon began to grow thicker had! The accident took its toll on the content of this site had turned.... Notes to loved ones ( one, by Charles Capewell, read ``! Miraculously landed the plane the first signs of a pilot made the following to. She could n't have done better says there was no sense of perspective that probably more... As they 'd run down choking with volcanic ash, right the overnight cases like Marie Antoinettes harder. Plane into a gentle descent cloud sandblasted the windscreen and landing light covers and clogged engines. - despite being forced to make a landing on water but I had idea... Or major injuries Saints and Broncos are finalizing compensation in return for Super Bowl-winning Sean. Job with an accident on his record, however, a classic case of airmanship those. Right engine alight and caused panic captain eric moody retirement board, there have been to... Plane into a gentle descent the quote below so Fred developed this but could... The experience of Capt Moody 's flight engineer detailed the impact the dust having... Through to a stop the centreline of the problem, it is difficult to get to inside! Flaps Podcast, where he recounted his experience made by a user based on the content this... Major injuries you are not in too much distress. `` transferred to FBI Headquarters, OC,. He or she could n't have done better on water: 0:11 1.6M we! No later than August 1, 2022 Good evening ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain.! Number four began surging and soon flamed out as hard as me and Coward hailed...

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