Dramatic Photos Of Rumored No-Hydraulics Landing…
Although no one in officialdom has publicly confirmed it, the landing of a DHL Airbus at Baghdad Airport after being hit by at least one surface-to-air missile last Nov. 22 has been rumored as one of last year’s most incredible feats of aviation. Extensive damage to the aircraft’s left wing may have rendered the aircraft’s three hydraulics systems useless, leaving the pilots with only differential engine thrust to control the aircraft. DHL has not publicly elaborated on the attack and the resulting heroism of the pilots (which stands, regardless of the true extent of damage). For those with a flair for the dramatic, AVweb has obtained a PowerPoint presentation of the incident that includes photos of the landing, the damage, and text that may give some insight into the specific nature of the damage. The A300 had just left Baghdad on a mail flight when it was almost certainly hit by at least one missile, widely suspected to be a shoulder-fired ground-to-air device. The incident fueled pre-existing concerns about the vulnerability of airliners to such attacks and perhaps helped quench any potential desires to initiate commercial service into Baghdad.
More … (including a link to the PowerPoint presentation)
