This is pretty unbelievable — yesterday two Qatar Airways aircraft parked next to one another at Doha Hamad International Airport collided due to strong winds.
The planes in question were an Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 787-8. At the time of the incident there was a storm, with winds gusting from 19 knots to 61 knots (or 22 to 70 mph).
As you can see in the below video, the two planes were parked next to one another (with quite a bit of space between them). Over the course of about a minute, the 787 turned 90 degrees and then started moving towards the A350, before finally hitting it.
https://twitter.com/AeronewsGlobal/status/1256101958445907968
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen something like this, though somehow videos like this still surprise me every time. This is far from my area of expertise, though I would have assumed prior to this that it would take more than 61 knot gusts for something like this to happen. I’m probably wrong, or I wonder if some other setting wasn’t correct (could wheel chocks have help stopped this, were the brakes set correctly, etc.?).
It’s hard to tell how bad the damage is based on the video. On the one hand, the damage doesn’t look that bad based on what we can see. On the other hand, I know the nose of a plane also contains lots of systems, so one has to wonder if there was significant damage beyond the surface there.
I’ll at least be keeping an eye on the 787, which has the registration code A7-BCT, to see when it flies again. Unlike lots of other planes, that 787 hadn’t been grounded — the plane had flown from Delhi to Doha on April 29.
Just a couple of weeks ago we saw an Emirates 777 and British Airways A350 collide in Dubai. That wasn’t due to weather, though — rather that happened due to an error while one plane was pushing back.
Amusing these people calling it fake.
What is the largest vertical surface on the plane? The tail.
Logic is evidently lacking in some.
Ever Wondered what Happened to the people or is just the planes important?
Paul and RDP seem to understand and have the knowledge. I'm not an aircraft expert but a experienced yachtsman which knows how to sail at a narrow angle into the wind. With the big tail of this aircraft acting as a sail in a strong this looks absolutely real.
The wind caused pressure on
the vertical stab, thereby twisting the aircraft around it's main undercarriage to point the nose into the wind ! Simple !
Please you aeronautical experts ! The wind comes onto the side of an aircraft, causing pressure on the vertical stabiliser, (on the tail of the aircraft) thereby pushing the nose of the plane into the wind. Simple !
With all due respect a lot of what you write about is far from your area of expertise, but it’s still an enjoyable read
787 was feeling lonely, needed some physical contact ;)
As someone who's studied aerodynamics, this probably happened because the wind pushed the tail, causing the aircraft to turn. The forward motion was likely the 787 nose moving along the A350 wing. (until it hit the A350 fuselage)
It tuns into the wind and then moves forward against the wind? Clearly there is audio but not a single comment by the person recording this, off a monitor?
It seems to be quite lucky (in terms of repairability) that the points of contact were the nose cone (787) and what seems to be the FWD cargo door (a350)- so doesn't seem to be much, if any, structural/fuselage damage.
I live in Doha. Yep, it was crazy. Video and pictures sent of damage done friends’ compounds was incredible, while my place hardly got blasted at all.
The ground equipment in the foreground didn't move at all, including what appears to be a large light stanchion and airstairs. Presumably these lights are top heavy and would topple over in such winds.
If an article needed a 'WOW' this was it!
Living in Doha!
I can tell you, I hadn't seen winds like this before.
Part of a COVID19 temporary hospital got destroyed ( luckily no injuries to patients, and minor injuries to staff)
There is a video of a tornado going around
Huge trees were uprooted in one of the big parks.
It was insane.
Nope, I don't buy it. There is no way that a plane will be moved like that by winds of 70 knots. To make matters even worse, the plane is moving into the wind. It's either fake or someone was driving it from the inside
@ Lune, @ Malibu69
Winds in that part of the world shift.
I really worry about the 350 with fuselage damage. remember, this is not simple metal like older aircraft, this is composite.
Plane is moving into the direction of the wind, so this simply impossible from a physics view point. Totally fake
I'm not an aerodynamics expert, but that plane turns *into* the wind, and then travels perpendicular to the wind straight across the tarmac to hit the other plane. Either I need to go back to high school physics class or the person who created this photoshopped video needs to :)
I didn’t know storms could be that strong in Qatar. If the pattern persists, Etihad’s next to have a collision incident
Couple of considerations:
Most large aircraft use hydraulic parking brakes. After less than 24 hours with no hydraulic pumps running, the pressure is already insufficient to hold the brakes and therefore keep the aircraft stationary.
Secondly, some airports are running short of chocks because so many aircraft are parked for storage.
Perhaps this plane didn't have enough hydraulic pressure to hold the brakes and didn't have enough chocks in place.
I could believe a plane turning in the strong gusts, but isn’t the plane moving towards where the wind is blowing from???? I don’t believe it - if it is a real collision then it’s insurance fraud!
cmon it's obviously a set up. They need insurance money to fund em through covid (kidding)