Wizzair CRL-SOF-CRL

[summersso]

Very short trip report!

25/OCT/2008
SCHEDULED: CRL 08.25 SOF 12.00
ACTUAL: 08:32 SOF 11.55
LZ-WZB

On-time departure in this very nice, new A320 delivered to Wizzair Bulgaria in July. Excellent onboard service, unassuming, efficient. Managed to grab seat 13F (window emergency exit seat) so plenty of legroom and able to recline. Sofia Airport Terminal 1 is a little miserable, nowadays used only by the lowcost airlines, but fortunately didn't need to spend any time there - straight into a taxi for the short ride to town.

28/OCT/2008
SCHEDULED: SOF 06.10 CRL 08.00
ACTUAL: SOF 14.25 CRL 15.55
HA-LPA

Up at 4am (local time) for a taxi to the airport to catch our early flight back to Brussels. Smooth checkin, slow security clearance, quick cup of coffee, bus to the aircraft - LZ-WZB (same as outbound three days earlier) and we taxied for takeoff. Everything seemed normal, engines powered up and we started speeding down the runway then all of a sudden takeoff was aborted and the aircraft came to a sharp shuddering halt! After a couple of minutes sitting on the runway in darkness amidst blinking lights, but professional cabin crew who were clearly well drilled, we taxied back to the terminal. Left engine had suffered a bird strike (a few apparently)!

We spent the next EIGHT hours in Sofia's miserable transit area, offered just a bottle of water and a sandwich as technicians tried, unsuccessfully, to fix the engine. Eventually HA-LPA (Wizzair Hungary, crewed by Poles) flew in to rescue us and fly us home to Brussels-Charleroi. This, fortunately, was an uneventful flight. Seated in 14D, absolutely exhausted I slept throughout.

I'm a very regular traveller - especially internal flights in Europe - and have never been in an aircraft affected by a bird strike before. I'd like to know if this is "normal"? Does it happen often? How does it damage the engine?

Despite the bird strike and subsequent delay, I don't hold Wizzair responsible and bear no grudges towards them. Infact, I could go so far as to say I can't imagine them having been more professional and apologetic although a little more information while we waited might have been appreciated.

Off to Prague next week (5/11), fingers crossed no more mishaps!

[regi]

Who has the picture of that destroyed B747 engine mounted under a wing, and strapped with seat belts to avoid it spinning during flight?
It showed pretty heavely damaged engine parts.

[petarn]

Very short trip report!

25/OCT/2008
SCHEDULED: CRL 08.25 SOF 12.00
ACTUAL: 08:32 SOF 11.55
LZ-WZB

On-time departure in this very nice, new A320 delivered to Wizzair Bulgaria in July. Excellent onboard service, unassuming, efficient. Managed to grab seat 13F (window emergency exit seat) so plenty of legroom and able to recline. Sofia Airport Terminal 1 is a little miserable, nowadays used only by the lowcost airlines, but fortunately didn't need to spend any time there - straight into a taxi for the short ride to town.

28/OCT/2008
SCHEDULED: SOF 06.10 CRL 08.00
ACTUAL: SOF 14.25 CRL 15.55

birdstrike happens a lot... it was not an exception.
HA-LPB

Up at 4am (local time) for a taxi to the airport to catch our early flight back to Brussels. Smooth checkin, slow security clearance, quick cup of coffee, bus to the aircraft - LZ-WZB (same as outbound three days earlier) and we taxied for takeoff. Everything seemed normal, engines powered up and we started speeding down the runway then all of a sudden takeoff was aborted and the aircraft came to a sharp shuddering halt! After a couple of minutes sitting on the runway in darkness amidst blinking lights, but professional cabin crew who were clearly well drilled, we taxied back to the terminal. Left engine had suffered a bird strike (a few apparently)!

We spent the next EIGHT hours in Sofia's miserable transit area, offered just a bottle of water and a sandwich as technicians tried, unsuccessfully, to fix the engine. Eventually HA-LPA (Wizzair Hungary, crewed by Poles) flew in to rescue us and fly us home to Brussels-Charleroi. This, fortunately, was an uneventful flight. Seated in 14D, absolutely exhausted I slept throughout.

I'm a very regular traveller - especially internal flights in Europe - and have never been in an aircraft affected by a bird strike before. I'd like to know if this is "normal"? Does it happen often? How does it damage the engine?

Despite the bird strike and subsequent delay, I don't hold Wizzair responsible and bear no grudges towards them. Infact, I could go so far as to say I can't imagine them having been more professional and apologetic although a little more information while we waited might have been appreciated.

Off to Prague next week (5/11), fingers crossed no more mishaps!

[NCB]

Funny isn't it?

We caught bigger fish...actually a deer with a Cessna 150 (see civil aviation forum) just a week ago and the airplane was ferried back to the airport by the mtc crew after a quick check, the next day...

Bigger doesn't mean stronger

Too bad you didn't tape that take-off... would have made something interesting.

The only risk with birdstrikes is if you run into a huge flock of big birds after passing V1 and both engines fail... your only option is to stop no matter what it takes.
The risk is even bigger on rear-mounted twin jets because engines are closer to eachother meaning that a smaller flock of birds is sufficient to take them both out.

That's why airport authorities are responsible for hiring professional hunters...

They are particularily efficient at BRU...
I was spotting at 25R by the tower when I saw this flock of birds dangerously swirling around on the approach path. 2 minutes later they were shot down... makes one feel sorry for the birds, but I'd rather see 10 birds shot down than 300 passengers burning to death.

[sn26567]

Thanks for interesting report (especially yout return trip but it appears that WizzAir handled the problem in a very professional way. I wonder what would have been Ryanair's reaction in a similar situation).

What was the load factor on both flights?

@ petarn: what was the purpose of your post?

[summersso]

Thanks for interesting report (especially yout return trip but it appears that WizzAir handled the problem in a very professional way. I wonder what would have been Ryanair's reaction in a similar situation).

What was the load factor on both flights?

@ petarn: what was the purpose of your post?

I can only guess the load factors, but outbound I think it was around 65% (fairly good I thought) and the return flight was around 99%; the reason being that the cancelled the scheduled afternoon rotation from SOF-DTM-SOF and so accommodated passengers who were prepared to fly to Charleroi.

I think Ryanair's reaction would've been different! This is actually the second time I've experienced a similar situation; damage to an aircraft. Last year my SkyEurope flight from BRU-KRK was damaged by an airbridge in BRU, and both times these Central European airlines have ferried an aircraft out to rescue us and take us to our destination.

And I think Petarn added: "birdstrike happens a lot... it was not an exception"...

[MSS658]

nice report to read. Unafortunaly you had bad luck? Is there a difference between Wizzair and Wizzair Hungary?