2011 Nightmare - United In A Sinkhole

"Forget The Pilot, Call A Plumber!"

United Continental - Boeing 737-800

On The Scene At Greenville, Mississippi

May 6 2011

The New United Continental - Boeing 737-800 - In Better Days

Boeing 737-800
The 737-800 is a stretched version of the 737-700, and replaces the 737-400. It also filled the gap left by the decision to discontinue the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 and MD-90 following Boeing's merger with McDonnell Douglas. The -800 was launched by Hapag-Lloyd Flug (now TUIfly) in 1994 and entered service in 1998. The 737-800 seats 162 passengers in a two-class layout, or 189 in one class, and competes with the A320. For many airlines in the U.S., the 737-800 replaced aging Boeing 727-200 trijets.
The 737-800 is also among the models replacing the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 and MD-90 series aircraft in airline service; it burns 850 U.S. gallons (3,200 L) of jet fuel per hour, or about 80% of the fuel needed by an MD-80 on a comparable flight, even while carrying more passengers than the latter. According to the Airline Monitor, an industry publication, a 737-800 burns 4.88 U.S. gallons (18.5 L) of fuel per seat per hour. Alaska Airlines replaced the MD-80 with the 737-800, saving US$2,000 per flight, assuming jet fuel prices of US$4 per gallon. The fuel cost of each such flight (2008 prices) on a 737-800 is about US$8,500.00.

On 14 August 2008, American Airlines announced 26 orders for the 737-800 (20 are exercised options from previously signed contracts and six are new incremental orders) as well as accelerated deliveries. A total of 2,135 -800, and 16 -800 BBJ aircraft have been delivered with 1,521 unfilled orders as of January 2011. Ryanair, an Irish low-cost airline is one of the largest operators of the Boeing 737-800, with a fleet of 300 aircraft serving more than 1,000 routes across Europe and North Africa.

The Prolog To Disaster -- When It Was Time To Call A Plumber

PROLOG

The world's biggest airline got clearance for take-off on Sept. 17 2010, as shareholders of United Airlines and Continental Airlines backed a multi-billion dollar merger that created a carrier dwarfing rivals on both sides of the Atlantic.

The combined airline, which adopted United's name, is forecast to have US$30bn of annual revenue, carrying 144m passengers a year to 59 countries. It is larger than Europe's top carrier, Air France-KLM, and overtook its U.S. rival, the newly merged combination of Delta Air Lines and Northwest.

Investors met to vote on the tie-up at twin meetings at Continental's headquarters in Houston and at United's base in Chicago.

At Continental's stokeholder gathering, 98% of votes were cast in support of the share-swap deal, despite concerns among unions about job losses, plus opposition in some circles to the abandonment of United's signature "tulip" logo.

With the abandonment of United's signature "tulip" logo came the need for a new United Continental livery .... and need for aircraft to visit the paint shops, including one facility at Greenville-Mid Delta Regional Airport (GLH), Mississippi. This is where it all went wrong.

On May 6 2011, the newly branded United Continental Boeing 737-800 Registration Tail Number N12221 rolled out of the paint shop at Greenville, Mississippi with her new livery, and pilots, ready for take-off.

Instead, they should have called a plumber!

This feature deals with two concepts:"Forget The Pilot, Call A Plumber!" ...... and ....... of course ....... as always ....... "Ship Happens! ©"

Michael S. McDaniel - Your Editor

What Waited Beneath, For The The New United Continental Boeing 737-800 Registration Tail Number N12221 As She Rolled From The Paint Shop?

What Waited Beneath For Tail Number N12221 Was A Sink Hole At Greenville-Mid Delta Regional Airport (GLH), Mississippi

A Plumber Might Have Fixed The Leaking Pipe Which Caused This Erosion & Sinkhole

Rolling From The Paint Shop Was A Dangerous Journey For Tail Number N12221

What Is A Sink Hole?
A sinkhole, also known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline or cenote, is a natural depression or hole in the Earth's surface caused by karst processes &emdash; the chemical dissolution of carbonate rocks or suffosion processes for example in sandstone. Sinkholes may vary in size from 1 to 600 meters (3.3 to 2,000 ft) both in diameter and depth, and vary in form from soil-lined bowls to bedrock-edged chasms. Sinkholes may be formed gradually or suddenly, and are found worldwide. The different terms for sinkholes are often used interchangeably.
Sinkholes may capture surface drainage from running or standing water, but may also form in high and dry locations.

The mechanisms of formation involve natural processes of erosion[4] or gradual removal of slightly soluble bedrock (such as limestone) by percolating water, the collapse of a cave roof, or a lowering of the water table. Sinkholes often form through the process of suffosion. Thus, for example, groundwater may dissolve the carbonate cement holding the sandstone particles together and then carry away the lax particles, gradually forming a void.

Sinkholes can also form when natural water-drainage patterns are changed and new water-diversion systems are developed. Some sinkholes form when the land surface is changed, such as when industrial and runoff-storage ponds are created; the substantial weight of the new material can trigger an underground collapse of supporting material, thus, causing a sinkhole.

Sinkholes are often formed by rainwater leaking through the pavement and carrying dirt into a ruptured sewer pipe.

When a pipe has ruptured and begins to undercut an aircraft runway -- it is time to call the plumber!

United Continental Boeing 737-800 Registration Tail Number N12221 -- Just Pulled From Her Dip In The Sinkhole

Is There Any Sinkhole Damage For United Continental Boeing 737-800 Registration Tail Number N12221 ?

Note: This Is A Sinkhole, Not A Pot Hole.

Perhaps A "Just A Little Sinkhole Damage" For United Continental Boeing 737-800 Registration Tail Number N12221

Experts Are Uniform: This Is Not A Job For Bondo

The Sinkhole Has Massively Damaged The Undercarriage of United Continental Boeing 737-800 Registration Tail Number N12221

........... And The Cfm56-7B Type Jet Engine From Snecma/G.E. Looks A Little Flat

The Cfm56-7B Type Jet Engine From Snecma/G.E Is Grounded - Complete Overhaul Required

Like Humpty Dumpty -- Boeing 737-800 Registration Tail Number N12221 Has Taken A Great Fall

Boeing 737-800 Registration Tail Number N12221 -- Ready To Rocket Out of The Sinkhole

Boeing 737-800 Registration Tail Number N12221 -- Winglet Lost By Sinkhole

Going Down Can Inhibit Going Up ........ And Expensively

AGE: 12 Years + 6 Months.

Is Boeing 737-800 Registration Tail Number N12221 A Write-Off?

Likely Not, But The Damage Is In The Millions of Dollars -- Thanks To A Sinkhole.

The Plumber Would Have Been Somewhat Cheaper.

From The Cargo Letter - May 6 2011 - CONFIDENTIAL - READERS ONLY
For reasons of confidentiality, we must be careful here.
After the incident of May 6 2011. great efforts were made by the public relations personnel of United Continental to make perfectly certain that the corporate identity of this plane would never be known. There could be no mention of the company which actually piloted its newly painted plane directly into a sinkhole.

For these reasons, the public relations people at United Continental cleverly taped over the new paint job to disguise the airline identity. Quite clearly, there is no way we could ever figure out Tail Number N12221 was from the United Continental fleet. Who could have ever figured this out? Who would have recognized the new livery? (Look At The Picture Below)

Please keep this important, confidential secret. You are sworn to secrecy.

McD

A Boeing 737-800 In Her New United Continental (Undisguised) Livery

Get Your "Ship Happens! ©" Gear!

Visit The Cargo Law Ship's Store For Great Industry Gift Ideas!

The Dedication of This Feature Is Simple: To The Plumber Who Should Have Been Called At Greenville-Mid Delta Regional Airport (GLH), Mississippi

SPECIAL NOTE: The historic dangers of carriage by air & sae continue to be quite real. Shippers must be encouraged to purchase high quality marine cargo insurance from their freight forwarder or customs broker.
It's very dangerous out there.

INDEX TO OUR "Forget The Pilot, Call A Plumber!" PAGE SPECIAL FEATURES:

Important Links To Our Feature:
Boeing 737-800

Some of Our Fire At Sea Features:

"Great Misfortune"- M/V Hyundai Fortune - March 2006
M/T Vicuna Explodes - for Jan. 2005

"T-E-U Bar-Be-Cue" - aftermath of the M/V Hanjin Pennsylvania Loss - Nov. 2002

"Thar She Blows!" - M/V Hanjin Pennsylvania - Nov. 2002

"Meals: Ready To Explode" - Navy Barbecue at Guam June 2001

And ..... "Fighting Fires On Mars" - Jan. 2008

Our Daily Vessel Casualties - stay informed

"Singles Only" - visit our individual moments of transport crisis for more.

The Greatest Container Losses Of All Time - these are the grand fathers -

M/V OOCL America
M/V APL China

M/V APL Panama - The EPIC

"Great Misfortune"- M/V Hyundai Fortune - March 2006

SPECIAL NOTE: The historic dangers of carriage by sea continue to be quite real. Shippers must be encouraged to purchase high quality marine cargo insurance from their freight forwarder or customs broker.
It's very dangerous out there.

Thanks To Our Contributors For The "Forget The Pilot, Call A Plumber!" Feature

Our Contributor for this feature is:
Our "Doc" - the faithful & enlightened source who must remain anonymous
The Cargo Letter appreciates the continuing efforts of these valued contributors.

NOTE: Please Provide Us With Your Additional Information For This Loss.

EDITOR'S NOTE FOR SURVEYORS, ATTORNEYS & MARINE ADJUSTERS: The Internet edition effort of The Cargo Letter now celebrates it's 8th Year of Service -- making us quite senior in this segment of the industry. We once estimated container underway losses at about 1,500 per year. Lloyd's put that figure at about 10,000 earlier this year. Quite obviously, the reporting mechanism for these massive losses is not supported by the lines. News of these events is not posted to the maritime community. Our new project is to call upon you -- those handling the claims -- to let us know of each container loss at sea-- in confidentiality. Many of you survey on behalf of cargo interests with no need for confidentiality. Others work for the lines & need to be protected. As a respected Int'l publication, The Cargo Letter enjoys full press privileges & cannot be forced to disclose our sources of information. No successful attempt has ever been made. If a personal notation for your report is desired -- each contributor will be given a "hot link" to your company Website in each & every report. Please take moment & report your "overside" containers to us. If you do not wish attribution, your entry will be "anonymous." This will will benefit our industry -- for obvious reasons! McD

* NOTE: The Cargo Letter wants you to know that by keeping the identity of our contributors 100% Confidential, you are able to view our continuing series of "Cargo Disasters." Our friends send us materials which benefit the industry. The materials are provided to our news publication with complete and enforceable confidentiality for the sender. In turn, we provide these materials to you.

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