German plane makes emergency landing in Belgrade

[dr_cfii]

http://avherald.com/h?article=40e80efc

Interesting...
COuld it really lead to a mid air explosion?

[Cargo Runner]

Interestingly it was a XL airways plane..... thought the whole group went down a few weeks ago.....looks as if all the bad stuff was lumped on the UK arm....funny old world...aviation

[HalcyonDays]

Interestingly it was a XL airways plane..... thought the whole group went down a few weeks ago.....looks as if all the bad stuff was lumped on the UK arm....funny old world...aviation

XL France and XL Germany were not part of the original XL collapse. They now have different ownership and they are continuing with their normal operations.

[MCM]

If the fire could not be extinguished by the fire extinguishing agent that is on board, then there is certainly the potential for the aircraft to catch fire and break up.

[ATFS_Crash]

http://avherald.com/h?article=40e80efc

Interesting...
COuld it really lead to a mid air explosion?

It could've resulted in a serious fire, break up or explosion.

Sometimes declaring an emergency early can be a blessing. Often if you wait till your positive that it’s emergency it’s too late. I would rather have an intact aircraft, crew and passengers and be scoffed at for declaring an emergency for the first indication of fire; then to have an scornful epithet criticizing being overly cautious (slow) on declaring a fire emergency. Fire can become a serious threat real quick, and it can be a very unpleasant way to die.

Like emergency responders say: if in doubt, call them out.

Air Canada Flight 797

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Canada_Flight_797

Swissair Flight 111

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swissair_Flight_111

TWA Flight 800

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_800

[Carl E. Hackert]

The article is poorly worded (translation problems?) and, therefore, it can't supposed to that "police" were correct in saying that a "mid-air explosion" would take place. As the article's witness states that he saw "Flames coming from an engine" which is not normal unless the 737-800 has afterburners! If the engine turbine blades start tearing the engine apart in flight there's a good chance that the crew will shut it down and stop the fuel flow. Jet engines are delicately balanced so any defect and or blade failures can cause damaging vibrations. The shutdown engine will cause drag, the engine can continue to to shed components and, rarely, an entire engine falls from the pylon when the damage and accompanying vibrations are intense - that can be preferable unless it hits your house.

If the engines are GE then this is incident is a very rare occurence - they enjoy an excellent reputation for longevity, unless there's been improper maintenance or operation.

[Dmmoore]

Almost all aircraft fires are by definition an emergency!

Engine fires are no exception.

Their are two types of engine fires:
1. A fire internal to the engine cases and internal to the cowling. These fires are usually related to a leak of some type finding an ignition source. The engine fire detection and extinguishing system protects against these events. The flight crew has control over these systems.

2. Flames seen from the tail pipe (with out a fire warning) is usually associated with a turbine (internal) engine problem. This type is usually associated with a strong vibration. Popping sounds (booms) are associated with compressor damage (engine surging or compressor stalls) may be accompanied by flashes of flame from the inlet, engine bleeds (if any) and the exhaust. Shutting down the engine stops the event.