China has done it again

[Captain Pugwash]

Just been listed with BBC news. any comments on the reporter's lack of knowledge about aircraft fuels. unless chinese airlines are using some other type of fuel than jetA1. also the time taken for the emergency services to get to the aircraft. this aircraft had been burning for some time ?
here is the BBC site address. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/default.stm

[Nigel H-J]

Extremely lucky that there were no casualties. On listening to the report why did it ten minutes for the emergency exits to be opened? :o I suppose all will become clear once a report is made.

Nigel.

[Garry Russell]

I read another report that said it caught fire 3 and a half minutes after landing and was evacuated immediatley.

I saw one chap say 10 minutes but perhaps he was away from the exit and it just seemed a long time.

Ten minuets is a very, very long time in cases like this.

Garry

[cstorey]

Since mercifully everyone was evacuated successfully, it seems to me inherently unlikely that there was any delay in doing so . 10 minutes would be impossible to survive without smoke hoods. Incidentally, Wednesday will be the 22 nd anniversary of the Manchester British Airtours 737 fire which had a tragic outcome with no significant delays at all ( although foam was not available from hydrants). The question of fuel type has no bearing : wide cut fuels have not been produced now for ( I think ) over 30 years, and sadly, the gelled fuels which were considered have never actually come to fruition

[Prop Jockey]

Yes I'm sure the trauma of the event distorts the perception somewhat. At the start of the video on the BBC website there is a reasonable small pool of burning fuel around the main gear - and the slides are already deployed. Given how quickly it spreads, that would seem to be an outstanding job at getting the doors open and everybody off. An excellent job by the crew Just a shame the chaps at the pointy-end didn't get to exit more gracefully :-(