Every time I see this airline in Thailand, I say a little prayer, I was going to fly them from Udon Thani to Chiang Mai, but when I found out they were the only airline, and it was on a YS-11, I changed cities.
Posted on 04/10/2005 1:57:30 PM PDT by Central Scrutiniser
Third flight abandoned by airline
An airline which twice abandoned take-off attempts when passengers said they saw fuel gushing from a plane's wing has suffered another safety scare.
Britons flying with Phuket Air out of the United Arab Emirates on Sunday were left stranded by the halted take-offs.
On Wednesday, a separate Phuket Air Boeing 747 had to return to Gatwick three hours into a flight to Bangkok because of a hydraulics fault.
UK officials have grounded the plane until repairs have been completed.
Engine shut down
It has emerged that an engine had to be shut down while the plane was airborne.
The plane, which had taken off from the Sussex airport at 0830 BST and landed back at 1137 BST, has been grounded by the Department of Transport.
A spokeswoman said it would not be permitted to leave the UK until the damaged engine had been repaired or replaced.
An airline spokeswoman said on Wednesday: "There were 82 people on today's flight, which flew into Gatwick from Sharjah last night and had suffered a hydraulics problem.
"Though it was thought the fault had been corrected, the plane suffered the same problem this morning."
'Gushing' fuel
The passengers were transferred to London Heathrow to take alternative flights, said a British Airports Authority spokeswoman.
On Sunday, around 200 Britons travelling with Phuket Air stopped their plane when many said they saw fuel gushing out of the wing of their aircraft.
Pilots abandoned two take-off attempts as screaming passengers threatened to storm the cockpit.
The airline later said the aircraft had been overfilled with fuel by ground staff and had not been a danger to passengers.
But several passengers refused to board another of the company's planes and others were left stranded in the UAE following further problems and delays.
Every time I see this airline in Thailand, I say a little prayer, I was going to fly them from Udon Thani to Chiang Mai, but when I found out they were the only airline, and it was on a YS-11, I changed cities.
Could you put this on the aviation ping list?
Their name AND their motto?
Phuket is pronounced foo ket, a great place, I've spent lots of time there.
But the airline, whoa, avoid at all cost.
Sounds even worse than "Lucky Airlines?"
They said, "Ah, Phuket," and went home.
Ping
With a name like Phuket, it has to be good.
When everyone else is busy ... just go Phuket.
I was wondering how you pronounced that.........;^)
Those planes is all phuked up.
John Phuket Kerry?
This snafu lead to the following cockpit recording.
Phuket Tower: Flight 192, please be advised that fuel is gushing from your right wing.
Flight 192: Phuket, we're taking off anyway.
Phuket Tower: Phuket, you're dead meat.
That photo is very disturbing. Sheesh.
Well, the name of the island is pronouced "Poo Ket". In most translations, the PH is a "hard" P. In any case, Thai's don't say Fooket.
Back in the late 80's, my airline got 4 747-200's from KLM, they were trashed when we got them 15-19 years old, with over 17,000 cycles on them. One was the plane that lost 3 engines over the Redoubt volcano in Alaska and nearly crashed, and one was nicknamed Christine the Hangar Queen. Pieces fell off of them, they had aborted takeoffs, and I was on a flight where the main gear punctured the fueselage, which cancelled 4 days and 8 flights. All 4 planes were made into beercans a long time ago.
And we had a very good maintenance shop, I've seen the Phuket Air planes in person, they are shocking, I can only imagine their maintenance. There is another dodgy carrier over there that flies 747-200's, Orient Thai, I'd stay away from them too!
I say poo ghet, but most farangs say foo ket.
What you said is a lie.
Does that matter to you?
"TWA 2341, for noise abatement turn right 45 Degrees."
"Center, we are at 35,000 feet. How much noise can we make up here?"
"Sir, have you ever heard the noise a 747 makes when it hits a 727?"
Eighty two people on a 747? No wonder they have to skimp on maintenance.
We once flew a 747 from Nagoya Japan to Honolulu with 3 in the cockpit, 18 flight attendants, one Flight Service Manager, and one passenger for a 9 hour flight.
He got upgraded.
After looking at that photo, I'd say that they have to spend lots of extra money on hydraulic fluids and oil absorbents for their parking areas. Pilot's walk arounds must require an umbrella.
I somehow don't think that the Boeing design team ever intended for these aircraft to be owned by companies that had so little capability to maintain them.
"Hey, you forgot to put the gas cap back on," "ahhhh Phuket"
They're still flying YS-11s short haul? Holy jeez, those things are about 35-40 years old, aren't they? I'm sure they're decently designed planes and all (I know Piedmont flew them for a while around the Southeast) but I'm not sure I'd want to get on a Third World airliner that's that old.
And as for that 747-200 pic...I thought Air France's planes were dirty, but that's the nastiest-looking airplane I've ever seen. They obviously aren't spending the money saved by scrimping maintenance on soap, water, and Turtle Wax.
}:-)4
<< I was just talking a few days ago about how this is a disaster waiting to happen, I've seen their planes, they are beyond decrepit >>
It gets worse.
Phuket Air elected to non-rev ferry the aeroplane back here to Thailand for "maintenance" rather than let the Limeys get their hands on it.
Notwithstanding Brit "engineers'" [Mechanics] inclination to demonstrate their frustrations at their powerless by grounding anything they can get their hands on, I find it an indictment by implication that Phuket flew the grounded aircraft home on a ferry permit, empty, rather than fix it down the line and revenue-operate it back to Thailand.
So when you're in a Thai cab next Priday morning, don't porget to petch the poreign luggage prom the trunk, and don't drive too par into the porrest past the hotel.
I saw Thai Sky L1011 last time I was there, old Delta bird, good to see some of them escaped the wrecker. One of their L10's got turned into the wreckage for the TV show "Lost"
If you want on or off my aviation ping list, please contact me by Freep mail not by posting to this thread.
I wonder if they service Nantucket?
Didn't Jim Phuket QB the Raiders to a Super Bowl win many moons ago?
Another safety scare for Phuket Air 747 jet
by Suzi Austin
PHUKET, Thailand (7 Apr 2005) -- A plane which was grounded twice earlier this week with fuel gushing from a wing was yesterday involved in a fresh safety scare.
A Phuket Air Boeing 747 bound for Bangkok was forced to return to London Gatwick airport after developing hydraulics problems a few hours into its journey.
Passengers described how they were gripped with terror as one of the jet's engines had to be shut down mid-flight and 50 tonnes of fuel dumped before the plane landed.
Officials have now grounded the aircraft, and it will not be allowed to fly out of Britain until the damaged engine is repaired or replaced.
The plane was the same craft which was grounded twice in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday as fuel flooded from a wing.
Pilots abandoned two take-off attempts as passengers threatened to storm the cockpit. The 200 Britons on board were left stranded.
In yesterday's incident, the plane was carrying 82 people. It took off from Gatwick at 8.30am and landed back at the airport at 11.37am.
Passenger Mike McElhinney, from Frome, Somerset, said even the crew looked terrified. He added: ' Knowing they were scared made it much worse. It was the longest hour of my life. Grown men were weeping.'
Other passengers said the plane was in poor condition, with broken interior lights and torn seats.
Phuket Air claims all its aircraft are only 15 years old and in good condition. But Boeing reportedly said the carrier's 747s were 25 years old
Why are people still visiting that place?
Looks like Phuket Air describes their attitude about maintenance.
I never got a good answer, flight left HNL about 9 pm, after about 40 minutes we turned back, sat on the ground for 3 hours, got back on, sat for 2 hours, then they cancelled it. They couldn't get the gear doors closed and didn't want to fly 5 hours with it open back to the mainland.
I nonreved on Phillipines Airlinesthe next morning. The next night they got the plane up and returned again. Boeing had to come out and they got it fixed 2 days later. It was our only 747 at the time, major disturbance.
I was there recently, its fine, 98% of the hotels are still there, the beaches are in great shape, and the diving is fantastic. I could very easily live there, its beautiful.
Look, I've been in the restaurants.
Where else can you order "Pud Prik King?"
It's Phuket, damnit.
The only thing I can say, if it's anything positive, thank God they couldn't get it closed; they might not have gotten them open again if it was that bad. Good Golly Miss Molly.
They're lying. Anyone who knows anything about 747s would know that the 747 pictured could only be a 747-200. No one other than the US government was taking delivery of 747-200s in 1990, and those were for the two VC-25s otherwise known as Air Force One. Those were the last 747-200s ever delivered. All the other 747s delivered in 1990 were 747-400s. Considering that most 747s delivered between 1983 and 1989 were 747-300s, it is doubtful this plane is less than 22 years old.
It's no worse than the name of a Chinese restaurant that used to be in business near my home. The first time I saw a flier for the restaurant, Fookim, I thought it was a joke.
If you can get the register number on the plane, you can find out how old it is, and when it was built.
The one in the pic is a 200, I am not sure if this was the one with all the problems, they do fly 747-300's which are ex KLM.
I've seen both variations on the ground at BKK, as well as their ancient 737-200 with the longwave antenna, and their old UsAirways Metrojets and the Jurissac YS-11's.
Phuket Air is stopping London service and moving to Amsterdam I believe, the laws must be a bit more lax there!
Yeah, I spent about 18 hours without sleep in that airport, but I got to SFO for 100 bucks on Phillipines, Mabuhay!
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