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Author Topic: Ethiopian 737 Encounters Massive Grasshopper Swarm  (Read 2192 times)

Offline joeyb747

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Ethiopian 737 Encounters Massive Grasshopper Swarm
« on: January 13, 2020, 05:49:24 AM »
Pretty incredible photos included in the article. Nice work by the crew getting the airplane down safely.

"An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration ET-ALN performing flight ET-363 from Djibouti (Djibouti) to Dire Dawa (Ethiopia), was on final approach to Dire Dawa when the aircraft flew through a swarm of grasshoppers and received a huge number of insect impacts into engines, windshield and nose of the aircraft. The crew went around, attempted a second approach but again needed to go around and diverted to their ultimate destination Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), where the aircraft landed safely about 90 minutes after departure from Djibouti.

The aircraft remained on the ground for about 11.5 hours for cleaning and a thorough inspection, which found no damage."


From:

http://avherald.com/h?article=4d1de8cc&opt=0



Offline joeyb747

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Re: Ethiopian 737 Encounters Massive Grasshopper Swarm
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2020, 06:09:47 AM »
From the updated AvHerald article, pretty incredible how the crew handled cleaning the windshield...

"On Jan 15th 2020 The Aviation Herald received information based on a screenshot reportedly showing the report of the captain of the flight, that the aircraft was on approach to Dire Dawa's runway 15 when the aircraft entered a swarm of locust, it was like rain. The windscreen wipers were not able to clear the windshield anymore. The crew went around, climbed to 8500 feet, depressurized the aircraft, opened the cockpit side window and cleaned the windscreen by hand. The same happened on second approach to Dire Dawa. The crew again climbed to 8500 feet, cleaned the windscreen by hand again and diverted to Addis Ababa."

From:

http://avherald.com/h?article=4d1de8cc&opt=0
« Last Edit: January 17, 2020, 06:11:54 AM by joeyb747 »