Author Topic: CFG83 KLAS-EDDF/FRA Divert to KDEN after "life-threatening disturbance" onboard  (Read 9748 times)

Offline n0qxw

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This tidbit comes from local news in Denver.  No mention of what the incident actually was.

http://www.9news.com/story/news/local/2015/08/28/fighter-jets-escort-plane-to-dia-after-disturbance/71351196/

Track of the flight with divert, courtesy FlightAware:

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/CFG83/history/20150828/2130Z/KLAS/EDDF

I'm combing through the ATC archives now, but there isn't much coverage of ZLC (Salt Lake) or ZDV (Denver) where the divert happened -- that's the far reaches for both of those centers, so I don't expect to hear much of the original incident, but if I'm lucky I'll get some of the traffic as they approach Denver.

And now the Saturday-morning quarterbacking and thoughts...  It couldn't have been immediately urgent.  Closest airport with significant commercial service to the point of divert was my home airport, Billings Logan (KBIL), which has been known to handle diverts.  The only reasons I can think of are that it's a) a station for Lufthansa, which Condor still has an interline agreement with, and more facilities in case the aircraft had to remain longer; and b) it vectors the aircraft closer to the F16 hardware sent to escort from Buckley AFB (KBKF).  Not that it really matters, just observations.



Offline n0qxw

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As expected, no useful information from enroute channels, either ZLC or ZDV.  Traffic begins on ZDV low feed about 0010Z 29AUG, but other than some (apparently international/language) confusion re: HAZMAT versus Dangerous Cargo, there's not much in the way of informative traffic, just the standard emergency information on fuel remaining (and it sounds like CFG83 dumped fuel over Wyoming), souls on board, cockpit security, and whether any assistance is needed immediately on landing.

Where useful information comes in is from the KDEN Public Safety channels.  I'm still working on filtering data (definitely starting about 0040Z, working my way backwards now...) but it looks like there was some kind of scuffle on-board.  A 35 year old female from the Czech Republic was attended to by medics.  Unclear if this is the passenger causing the disturbance on not.  Also worth nothing that Lufthansa requested United maintenance do an overweight landing check on the airframe (per FlightRadar24, registration D-ABUK).

I'll be trimming and distilling the KDEN Public Safety audio in a post later today.  I don't see the point in posting what appears to be "routine emergency" traffic that isn't relevant to this specific event or otherwise notable, so no ATC comms at this point.

Continuing my Saturday Morning Quarterbacking thread, there's now a likely third and fourth reason for the divert to KDEN, versus the closer KBIL:  c) CGF83 was massively over maximum landing weight and needed to perform a fuel dump, and d) even with dumping fuel, they were probably going to be close, if not overweight.  United doesn't have any maintenance facilities at KBIL, much less Lufthansa or Condor -- it would have to be contracted out or flown in.  KDEN, on the other hand, is a major hub for United, and has better facilities.

Offline datainmotion

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So, I'm glad you made some of the points you did on this. These incidents are EXACTLY why I keep the DEN Public Safety Feed running, especially these days, with so many diverts due to unruly passengers. In this case, a woman punched an FA over the woman's cat.

While its not really part of aviation comms per se, these types of situations directly affect pax travel and the involvement of Public Safety on the ground is inevitible.

Offline w0x0f

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Here is an AVweb article explaining the situation onboard the aircraft.

http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/101/3134-full.html?ET=avweb:e3134:232616a:&st=email#224779

w0x0f