Volcano ash plume affecting S.E. Alaska ??

[wrp96]

Our Anchorage to Dallas flight was supposed to leave at 8:55 p.m. Saturday night, but it was delayed due to mechanical problems. The flight was rescheduled for 7:15 last night (Sunday), and we took off around 8 p.m. I later learned that the regularly-scheduled ANC-DFW flight on American also left last night. I know how hard it was for the airlines to reaccommodate people on their connecting flights for the following day due to our one flight being delayed. I can only imagine what a nightmare it will be for all the people on today's cancelled flights to get home in a timely manner.

 

 

Good thing you got out when you did!!!

[kk-l]

Hi kk-l, did you do on-line check-in? How far in advance did it let you do this? We leave on Saturday morning on Alaska Air and just saw the travel advisory, we were on a sold-out plane and now it looks like there are seats open so I think people are re-scheduling? My thoughts are with you and your family getting out to Alaska tomorrow!!

Thank you Maren91. Check-in is up to 24-hours before your flight. Would also suggest arriving at the airport early the day of your flight.

I wish you and your family Bon Voyage as well...

[wolfie11]

Flights during daylight hours are generally getting out. The ash cloud is visible and pilots can avoid it. It is the night flights that are getting cancelled since there is really no way of knowing where the ash is in the dark and to fly into it would risk all engines shutting down (it only affects jets, not props).

[kk-l]

Flights during daylight hours are generally getting out. The ash cloud is visible and pilots can avoid it. It is the night flights that are getting cancelled since there is really no way of knowing where the ash is in the dark and to fly into it would risk all engines shutting down (it only affects jets, not props).

Thanks Wolfie...that's very helpful. I was wondering why the agent was more emphatic that flights would be more likely to be cancelled at night. Makes sense.

I'm sure we'll get to Ketchikan. Just have to put a cork in that volcano. :D

[kk-l]

Attached article refers to the biologists bottom-dragger referred to. This was the third volcano to erupt since 7/12/08.

Never a dull moment up there.

 

http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/081008/sta_316886614.shtml

[TWO4THESEA]

Egads! Just heard about the flight cancellations for Alaska Air lines. We're scheduled to fly out of Los Angeles next Sunday the 17th to Anchorage via Seattle. Called RCCL which is the Cruise line that we're booked on, but they didn't seem to know much. Called AAL but they really weren't much help either, saying that they couldn't really give us any more information that what's on the web site. I read that the flight THRU the 17th maybe be affected, but does that mean UP TO the 17th or INCLUDING the 17th? Been waiting for this trip for a year,,, sheesh ! What bad timing!

[bottom-dragger]

(it only affects jets, not props).

 

!!??!!??!!??

please explain.

[AkSusan]

Egads! Just heard about the flight cancellations for Alaska Air lines. We're scheduled to fly out of Los Angeles next Sunday the 17th to Anchorage via Seattle. Called RCCL which is the Cruise line that we're booked on, but they didn't seem to know much. Called AAL but they really weren't much help either, saying that they couldn't really give us any more information that what's on the web site. I read that the flight THRU the 17th maybe be affected, but does that mean UP TO the 17th or INCLUDING the 17th? Been waiting for this trip for a year,,, sheesh ! What bad timing!

Really not something the airlines can tell you about, because this becomes one big guess in regards to what the volcanos are going to do.

 

Seems we've gotten through this episode but with three of them sitting down there acting up lately, one just never knows. At least right now it's the ones in the Aleutians acting up versus the ones here in Southcentral.

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[TWO4THESEA]

Really not something the airlines can tell you about, because this becomes one big guess in regards to what the volcanos are going to do.

 

Seems we've gotten through this episode but with three of them sitting down there acting up lately, one just never knows. At least right now it's the ones in the Aleutians acting up versus the ones here in Southcentral.

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

Thanks Susan, I just keep watching the new, and keep my fingers crossed.

Manny

[wolfie11]

!!??!!??!!??

please explain.

 

From the AVO:

 

"Encounters between aircraft and volcanic ash are serious because the ash can cause severe damage to the engines as well as other parts of the airplane. Two processes damage jet engines, particularly long-range, wide-body airplanes such as DC-10s and Boeing 747s that are used for international transport. The first damaging process is the mechanical abrasion of the moving parts in a jet engine, such as the compressor and turbine blades. This abrasion reduces the efficiency of the engine but does not typically cause engine failure. Another process with potentially more dangerous consequences is the introduction of ash into the hot parts of an aircraft's engines. Jet engines, particularly those on large airplanes used on international routes, operate near the melting temperature of volcanic ash. Ingestion of ash can clog fuel nozzles, combuster, and turbine parts causing surging, flame out, immediate loss of engine thrust, and engine failure."

 

"The potential for a disastrous outcome of an ash-cloud encounter has been illustrated by three dramatic incidents (Miller and Casadevall, 2000). The first occurred in 1982 when a Boeing 747 flying at night over water with 240 passengers flew into an ash cloud about 100 miles from Galunggung volcano, Indonesia. The aircraft lost power in all four engines and descended 25,000 ft from an altitude of 37,000 ft above sea level. After 16 minutes of powerless descent, the crew was able to restart three engines and make a safe landing in Jakarta. A few weeks later, a second Boeing 747 with 230 passengers encountered an ash cloud from another eruption of the same volcano. The aircraft lost power to three engines and descended nearly 8000 ft before restarting one engine and making a nighttime emergency landing on two engines. In both cases, the aircraft suffered extensive damage, and large death tolls were barely averted. A third nearly tragic incident occurred in 1989 related to an eruptive event at Redoubt volcano in Alaska, USA. A Boeing 747 with 231 passengers was nearing Anchorage International Airport and flew into what looked like a thin layer of altocumulus but was actually an ash cloud. The aircraft lost power to all four engines and descended for four minutes over mountainous terrain. Within only one to two minutes of impact, the engines were restarted, and the aircraft was safely landed in Anchorage. Damage was estimated at more than US $80 million."

 

Ash isn't good for prop-driven planes, just as it isn't good for your car, and damage can occur from abrasion, but it usually doesn't cause props to shut down and the plane fall from the sky. So if Anchorage is covered in falling ash as it occassionally is, small plane pilots probably shouldn't be flying. Fortunately, most of the ash clouds float around at higher altitudes than are normal for propeller-driven planes.

[kenish]

Turboprop planes are just as prone to damage or failure from ash as jets are. That's because a turboprop is simply a jet engine driving a propeller. But turboprops are at less risk since ash clouds tend to be at jet altitudes above 30000 feet rather than the 20000-25000 foot altitudes where most turboprops fly.

 

Another maintenance problem that volcanos cause...they put a lot of sulfiric acid into the upper atmosphere. Plastic airliner window panes craze and "fog" on the outside. The airlines have to polish them more often.

[judatt]

Greetings from Denali. We board the Millie on Friday 8/15 but started CruiseTour #1 in Fairbanks yesterday. We are frequent business travelers and the airlines have had more issues the past year than any time we can remember so we decided to leave Virginia a day early and travel on Sunday. Flew DCA-SEA-ANC-FAI all on Alaska Air and did not have any delays. However, we had some issues to deal with. On the flight from SEA to ANC the pilot said we were coming up to the volcanic ash and we were going to go under it. We went down about 12,000 feet for probably 45 minutes. All our flights were in the daytime so we didn't have a problem. I understand they cancelled several night flights.

 

Yesterday when the tour started we were still missing 8 of 40 in our group. 2 came in this morning at 10 and 6 this afternoon at 2. They missed the first night and the first tour - the Riverboat and Athabascan Village. Finally everyone is here and we are now at Denali - delayed our trip to Denali a few hours so we could pick up the late arrivals at the Fairbanks airport.

 

By the way we are having great weather so far - mid 60s and clear. Trust it will stay the same for several more days. David

[Chenega]

Just flew home to Anchorage early this morning on AS 147 from Denver. No problems and everything on time. However, heard some stories from travellers who were on our flight and had been cancelled from other carriers. Particularly negative comments about United Airlines.

 

We got in at 1:30am and there was many people "camped out" at the Anchorage airport. Still, flights were going on a regular basis.

[Lessor1]

You can keep an eye on volcanic activity here...

http://www.avo.alaska.edu/

[Flamingo55]

You can keep an eye on volcanic activity here...

http://www.avo.alaska.edu/

 

Thanks for the informative website!

[gg3]

Asking Alaska locals how the volacanic activity is in your area. I noted that on one website it stated that two of them were having seismic activity, with no ash. Am I correct, that even when there is a problem with ash and some flights are canceled there is not a problem flying into Vancouver from the states ?? It is the flights "within" Alaska....correct ?? Thank you all for always being willing to share information about your awesome Alaska. gg

[AkSusan]

Asking Alaska locals how the volacanic activity is in your area. I noted that on one website it stated that two of them were having seismic activity, with no ash. Am I correct, that even when there is a problem with ash and some flights are canceled there is not a problem flying into Vancouver from the states ?? It is the flights "within" Alaska....correct ?? Thank you all for always being willing to share information about your awesome Alaska. gg

Currently the volcanos that are acting up are out on the Aleutian Islands, which are a good distance here from the mainland of Alaska, but when they throw ash is when it can mess the flights up. So ash into the air, air current blows back towards land or stays up in the flight paths is when the airlines cancels flights. Ash and airplane engines do not get along well.

 

To my knowledge our volcanos have never affected air traffic into Vancouver, but now if the Washington volcanos start acting up, then you just never know!

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[gg3]

Susan - thank you for your update. As always, I truly appreciate the time our Alaska friends put into CC. Your knowledge and experience is invaluable to us. gg