# Amersterdam-Seattle flight makes emergency stop in Canada [2/14/14]



## CHamilton (Feb 14, 2014)

Amersterdam-Seattle flight makes emergency stop in Canada 


> A Delta flight from Amsterdam to Seattle had to make an emergency landing at the Iqaluit Airport in Canada today.
> The airfield is on the coast of Northeast Canada, just across Davis Strait from the Southern Greenland.
> 
> According to Delta, Flight 233 encountered a mechnical issue and was diverted to Iqaluit, Nanavut, Canda for a technhical evaluation. The Airbus A330 landed safely.


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## Bob Dylan (Feb 14, 2014)

This reminds me of 911 when lots of Planes were Grounded in Canada and the Wonderful Canadians made them feel Welcome on this Sad Day in our History!


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## railiner (Feb 15, 2014)

Wow....what an unusual place to land at....looks more than 63 degrees North on the map.....must be a bit chilly there this time of year....

A very rare opportunity to get a glimpse of this part of the world. Glad they safely made it......


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## Texan Eagle (Feb 15, 2014)

Everytime I take a trans-oceanic flight, I secretly wish it should make an unscheduled diversion to random MiddleofnowhereVille airport. Of course not something so serious that it puts all passengers' life in danger, but something minor.. just to be able to visit such obscure places unexpectedly.

Yes, I am weird that way :unsure:


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## SarahZ (Feb 15, 2014)

Texan Eagle said:


> Everytime I take a trans-oceanic flight, I secretly wish it should make an unscheduled diversion to random MiddleofnowhereVille airport. Of course not something so serious that it puts all passengers' life in danger, but something minor.. just to be able to visit such obscure places unexpectedly.
> 
> Yes, I am weird that way :unsure:


I'm right there with you. I'd feel bad if the delay meant people were missing work, weddings, vacations, and other important things, but yeah.


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## PRR 60 (Feb 15, 2014)

I was on a BA flight PHL-LHR that was held at low altitude up the US coast because of an ATC problem and, due to excessive fuel consumption, had to make a stop at Gander NFLD to fill up the tank. It was the middle of the night, so all I could see was the airport lights - not very exciting.

My son had unscheduled stops twice on TATL flights - both due to medical emergencies. In one case they stopped at St. Johns NFLD, and the other time I believe the stop was at Halifax NS.


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## jis (Feb 15, 2014)

I have stopped in Nandi, Fiji to refuel in the face of headwinds on the way from San Fran to Sydney. This was on a 747-400 too!

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum


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## xyzzy (Feb 15, 2014)

Diversions across the ponds are not rare. Usually it's a passenger medical problem or low fuel due to unexpected headwinds. Occasionally it's mechanical or precautionary. UA had a precautionary Sydney-LAX nonstop divert to Honolulu just last week.

http://avherald.com/


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## caravanman (Feb 15, 2014)

I once changed planes in Tashkent on Aeroflot, which was an interesting airport. One of my ambitions is still to travel "The Golden Road to Samarkand"... however, I feel that Tashkent airport may have been the closest I will ever get!

Ed.


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## MrFSS (Feb 15, 2014)

caravanman said:


> I once changed planes in Tashkent on Aeroflot, which was an interesting airport. One of my ambitions is still to travel "The Golden Road to Samarkand"... however, I feel that Tashkent airport may have been the closest I will ever get!
> 
> Ed.


Ed - the next time you come to the US you can have a meal at *The Samarkand Restaurant* in Pennsylvania.


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## caravanman (Feb 15, 2014)

That may be an option, but it's not quite what I imagined: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/603/gallery/

Ed


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## railiner (Feb 15, 2014)

PRR 60 said:


> I was on a BA flight PHL-LHR that was held at low altitude up the US coast because of an ATC problem and, due to excessive fuel consumption, had to make a stop at Gander NFLD to fill up the tank. It was the middle of the night, so all I could see was the airport lights - not very exciting.
> 
> My son had unscheduled stops twice on TATL flights - both due to medical emergencies. In one case they stopped at St. Johns NFLD, and the other time I believe the stop was at Halifax NS.


Those are more or less on the main route across. I've been to all of those several times, even Gander's airport, which used to be a regular "technical stop" (for refueling) in the days of shorter range trans-oceanic aircraft. You can regularly go to those by air, rail, bus, or car. But Iqualuit is way North of the usual path I would think for that particular flight....must have been to avoid a powerful jetstream......


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## jis (Feb 15, 2014)

You can go to Gander by rail?

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum


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## PRR 60 (Feb 15, 2014)

railiner said:


> PRR 60 said:
> 
> 
> > I was on a BA flight PHL-LHR that was held at low altitude up the US coast because of an ATC problem and, due to excessive fuel consumption, had to make a stop at Gander NFLD to fill up the tank. It was the middle of the night, so all I could see was the airport lights - not very exciting.
> ...


 Iqualuit (YFB) is pretty close to the normal route AMS-SEA.


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## tp49 (Feb 15, 2014)

PRR 60 said:


> railiner said:
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I've done this flight a couple of times and would agree it's close to the regular routing as well.


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## railiner (Feb 16, 2014)

jis said:


> You can go to Gander by rail?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum


No, you got me there....the "Newfie Bullet" is alas, history....but the DRL, former CN 'Roadcruiser' bus still makes a rest stop there.... 



PRR 60 said:


> railiner said:
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Wow, I didn't realize that.....thanks for that link!


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## xyzzy (Feb 16, 2014)

Not long ago I was on a LHR-RDU flight that went over Greenland and CYFB. Seems like it would be out of the way, but it depends on where the jetstream is and how the North Atlantic tracks are configured for the 12-hour interval when a flight takes place. The westbound tracks often move north or south to keep aircraft away from the highest headwinds.


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## jis (Feb 16, 2014)

Now if we had to ever divert halfway through a trip from Delhi to Newark on UA 83, that would result in a landing at Murmansk or Archangelsk or if a little later then Spitzbergen in the Svalbards) perhaps . That'd be really cool, literally and figuratively.


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## railiner (Feb 16, 2014)

Imagine if there was a flight from Santiago, Chile to Singapore.....would be neat to land at somewhere like the South Pole-Amundsen-Scott Station....


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## jis (Feb 16, 2014)

railiner said:


> Imagine if there was a flight from Santiago, Chile to Singapore.....would be neat to land at somewhere like the South Pole-Amundsen-Scott Station....


First one will have to find a four engine aircraft with the range to fly that route


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## railiner (Feb 16, 2014)

jis said:


> railiner said:
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> > Imagine if there was a flight from Santiago, Chile to Singapore.....would be neat to land at somewhere like the South Pole-Amundsen-Scott Station....
> ...


And equip it with 'ski' landing gear?


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## Texan Eagle (Feb 20, 2014)

jis said:


> railiner said:
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> > Imagine if there was a flight from Santiago, Chile to Singapore.....would be neat to land at somewhere like the South Pole-Amundsen-Scott Station....
> ...


You don't need to go all the way to Singapore. A Santiago-Perth route would also pass right over the Antarctic. This is ~12,700 km, very much within range of an Airbus A380


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## Devil's Advocate (Feb 20, 2014)

I've logged hundreds of flights and seen my share of crazy weather but I haven't suffered any diversions thus far. I don't find the idea of a diversion particularly worrisome but I would still prefer to make it to my destination on time and keep the rest of my trip on schedule or get back to work. Flying over the ocean can become pretty boring after the first few trips, so I can see why folks would get bored with it and secretly long for some sort of anomaly after a while. The only problem is that once you're on the path to disruption things may not turn out so well and there's not much you're going to be able to do about it as a passenger. Might be one of those "be careful what you wish for" type things.



Texan Eagle said:


> jis said:
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An A380 from Santiago to Perth? I don't see that happening. It's only possible to land on the Antarctic for a few months out of the year anyhow.


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## Texan Eagle (Feb 20, 2014)

Devil's Advocate said:


> Texan Eagle said:
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Well I was going to say its within range for a 777 but *jis* asked for a four-engine plane, and anyway I doubt 777 would pass ETOPS requirement over such a route, so suggested A380. This hypothetical route is also within range for Boeing 747-400 and A340-600 too if you want more variety.


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## jis (Feb 20, 2014)

Texan Eagle said:


> Devil's Advocate said:
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You're right. There is no trans-Antartic route from South America to Australia that is compatible with even ETOPS 330. That is why I said 4 engine originally. However, there are routes like EZE - SYD which can be flown by ETOPS 330 twins. 777 has such certification and 787 and A350 are likely to get such certification.


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