A Typhoon landed at Aberdeen Airport after suffering a “technical issue”.
The aircraft, from RAF Lossiemouth, had been on a routine training sortie before declaring an emergency and squawking 7700.
The aircraft performed a precautionary landing at Aberdeen Airport. The Typhoon is expected to be assessed by engineers. The RAF said in a statement: “The aircraft landed safely and the pilot is fine”.
Squawk 7700/7600/7500 detected: "FANG0022" Z???? [Eurofighter Typhoon (Miscoded)] of Royal Air Force of United Kingdom at 18980ft AMSL (Squawk 7700)
{EGXWinfoGroup Robot} pic.twitter.com/WIkNoUXmKR
— EGTTinfo (@LondonFIRinfo) October 19, 2021
What is the significance of “Squawking 7700”?
Captain Hoke is a Boeing 757/767 captain for a package express airline and also runs the website AeroSavvy, he had this to say.
“Declaring an emergency means the crew determines they have an ‘urgency’ or ‘distress’ situation. “Urgency” means the crew is concerned about the safety of the flight and needs timely (but not necessarily immediate) assistance. A ‘distress’ condition means that the flight is in serious and/or imminent danger and requires immediate assistance”.
ZJ928, believed to have been a fuel leak.
The jockey probably has a date with a local lassie, needed an excuse to land. Its been done before.
Hardly surprising given the number of hours they rack up each year.
Keep the Tranche ones until the arrival of Tempest in my opinion. With roughly half the airframe hours still left in them and could be upgraded if and when required!
https://www.eurofighter.com/news-and-events/2019/02/airbus-delivers-first-upgraded-tranche-1-eurofighter-to-spanish-air-force
If as reported the jet had a fuel leak, then the aircraft flying hours are of no relevance.
What caused the fuel leak? wear and tear possibly?
No doubt we will find out at a later date. Some on UKDJ will no doubt post that it happens to new aircraft as well to be different!
“Fuel leaks principally arise from stress, structural defects and degraded seals or sealants as aircraft age and, especially in those subject to particularly high-cycle deployment, detecting them and locating their source can be a constant struggle.”
https://www.airforce-technology.com/features/feature90366/
Some have real world experience of working with aircraft. Others read about it via Google
Indeed. After 12yrs fixing Her Majesty’s aircraft as a propulsion and airframes technician I cannot recall any gross fuel leak caused by a structural failure of an aircraft element. Indeed never any gross fuel leak to cause an in flight problem. Sure your get weep fuel leaks from fuel tanks access panels, but never so serious as to cause an in flight emergency. This is where the rubber seal leaks. Sometimes weep leaks occur through structural joints of the aircraft structure that makes up the fuel tanks – usually the PRC rubber sealant is replaced to cure the problem. Major… Read more »
Afghanistan, Nimrod springs to mind?
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2007/dec/04/afghanistan.military
A fuel pipe leak not a structural failure. Leaks can and do happen – but gross fuel leaks are extremely rare
Thanks mate. Really good technical explanation 👍
I would take the linked web page with a large pinch of salt. Its someone selling their services. The points about humidity/temperature changes are just fluff. Aircraft routinely (especially long haul aircraft) go from high ambient temperature of 30-35deg C (maybe more) if say departing from some hot country then down to -50/60 deg at high altitude cruise with a long low temperature soak of many hours. Fuel temperature will get to minus temps of maybe -10 deg C.If getting much lower heating is required to prevent Jet A1 starting to go waxy. No to mention being trace water in… Read more »
Re- Ageing Aircraft, Fuel Leaks and reduced flight hours. It’s always good to search on google in order not to keep making a fool of one’s self in public I tend to find! Page 660 Mr Bateman https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=tQlt9tdwL_8C&pg=PA661&lpg=PA661&dq=Ageing+Fighter+aircraft+fuel+leaks&source=bl&ots=mhshDy8BlI&sig=ACfU3U3DfHYNYTEIDwqBLFgz5twv997hkQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwixw6jGv9zzAhXoyYUKHVC-ADUQ6AF6BAgVEAM#v=onepage&q=Ageing%20Fighter%20aircraft%20fuel%20leaks&f=false Re- Ageing Aircraft and Fuel Leaks, It’s always good to search on google in order not to keep making a fool of one’s self in public I tend to find! Page 660 Mr Bateman https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=tQlt9tdwL_8C&pg=PA661&lpg=PA661&dq=Ageing+Fighter+aircraft+fuel+leaks&source=bl&ots=mhshDy8BlI&sig=ACfU3U3DfHYNYTEIDwqBLFgz5twv997hkQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwixw6jGv9zzAhXoyYUKHVC-ADUQ6AF6BAgVEAM#v=onepage&q=Ageing%20Fighter%20aircraft%20fuel%20leaks&f=false Re- Ageing Aircraft and Fuel Leaks, It’s always good to search on google in order not to keep making a fool of one’s self in public I… Read more »
Nice picture of the Typhoon!
“The following picture was taken by Giovanni Maduli on Feb. 10, 2011. It shows a Eurofighter Typhoon of the local based 4° Stormo leaking some fuel from the tail tank (for those who might think the aircraft is dumping fuel, the answer is no, since the F-2000 is not equipped with fuel dumpers).”
https://theaviationist.com/2011/02/14/time-to-tighten-the-fuel-cap-typhoon-fuel-leak/
Its a fuel vent. All aircraft have them.
To further clarify – all aircraft have fuel vents. Fuel tanks have to vent when being refuelled to displace the air in the tanks. In reverse if an unpressurised fuel system inward venting to allow air into the tanks as fuel is used. If the tanks are pressurised, usually via an air take off from an engine(s) then there still has to be a pressure relief system for the fuel system. Pressure relief is then via a pressure relief valve, the final outlet positioned at an extremity of the aircraft to ensure the released fuel vapour/droplets are well away from… Read more »
Mr Batemans comments are very generic in nature, about the broad technical issues that all aircraft have and associated maintenance and engineering support that aircraft require. Clearly all aircraft have fuel leaks, as I have explained in my other comments – the point is serious structural failures that you were trying to imply to cause gross fuel leaks/in flight emergencies are very very rare. A vanishing negligible risk.
I could go on but you see my point!
The U.S. Airforce troubled new refuelling tanker has yet another problem: excessive fuel leaks.
In a statement released Monday, the Air Force said the problem in the KC-46 Pegasus has been upgraded to a “Category 1” deficiency, defined as a critical flaw that impacts the development, schedule and, potentially, safety of the aircraft.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/03/31/air-forces-troubled-kc-46-tanker-has-new-problem-leaking-fuel.html
So you have proved you can use Google. Do you have any aircraft engineering experience
Not quite sure what that has to do with my first comment, but I can use google! And hence the reason for my first comment on this thread! “Hardly surprising given the number of hours they rack up each year. Keep the Tranche ones until the arrival of Tempest in my opinion. With roughly half the airframe hours still left in them and could be upgraded if and when required!” “With all forms of aviation experiencing higher costs, ever keener competition and greater demand for across-the-board efficiency, minimising time on the ground has become an increasingly important aspect of any… Read more »
Rubbish. Your initial comment was implying that an aircraft structural failure was leading to fuel leaks. A weep from a fuel tank access panel or via the internal sealant breaking down and letting fuel leak is not a structural failure. A structural failure is when there is a crack or other type of deformation that leads to an aircraft being either not airworthy or in the worst case breaking up in flight. Aircraft structure are classified as Primary, Secondary or Tertiary. Primary is what is means – the structural integrity is vital to the aircraft airworthiness. Secondary structure failure would… Read more »
“Rubbish. Your initial comment was implying that an aircraft structural failure was leading to fuel leaks.”
“Hardly surprising given the number of hours they rack up each year.
Please explain how my comment inferred this as I’m completely baffled by your reply? Or, is this simply how you interpreted it?
I’ll let others decide as I’ve answered all of your points using Google!
Have an enjoyable afternoon.
P.S you’ll notice I have two individuals who follow me around like lapdogs on here who are always proven wrong time and again and will jump at the chance to leap on anyone comments that disagree with me, particularly in relation to the F-35B.
Soo sad but amusing at the same time. Do keep a lookout for them! 👀
And that kind of comment says everything you need know about what type of guy you are. And I’ll continue to call you out, because you are one of the biggest spreaders of misinformation and generally BS on this site. If you don’t like the replys, don’t comment in the first place.
Your baffled by my reply because you don’t understand. Any experienced aircraft engineer would fully understand my comments.
It’s all Nigel Collins does, shares weblinks, and that makes him think he knows what he’s talking about. Everyone else see it for what it is.
Noted. Clearly he know nothing about aircraft engineering
Clearly more informed than you appear to be, or should I say GOOGLE!
Still waiting for you to impart you proven aircraft engineering experience and qualifications. I guess its going to be a very long wait because you don’t have any.
Likewise, as you clearly haven’t a clue what you’re talking about from the responses to my posts that I’ve had to correct you on including misinterpretation.
Happy to show you both my service record / aerospace engineering qualifications. I take it you have none. You clearly don’t know the difference between a structural failure and a fuel system failure and the consequences of each.
Off you go to Mr Google, see what else you can drag up..
Very good but the article doesn’t define the exact type of fuel leak. Two issues with fuel leaks. Obviously fire being one main risk, where even a small leak would be a significant issue if it ignited, The 2nd issue is a large unignited leak while airborne, which could be so serious as to cause an aircraft to run out of fuel. That would likely require a main fuel line to an engine leaking – less of a problem on a large multi engine aircraft – engine shut down, isolate the fuel supply. Carry on if possible or find some… Read more »
“Very good but the article doesn’t define the exact type of fuel leak.”
Hence my comment above.
“What caused the fuel leak? wear and tear possibly?
No doubt we will find out at a later date.”
You are attempting to link a very generic article to a specific flight incident. A silly thing to do.
How about this one?
I found it using GOOGLE!
“The sensor operator used the aircraft’s main camera to sweep the aircraft, and discovered it was “severely leaking fuel from the fuselage,” the report states.”
https://www.airforcemag.com/mq9-africa-crash-june-2020-fuel-leak/
You’re a real pratt. I never said catastrophic fuel leaks don’t happen – just that they are very, very rare. So again a fuel system failure, not a failure of the aircraft structure.
No, “You’re a real pratt.” Show me where I mentioned in my original comment about “failure of the aircraft structure” And thick, “With roughly half the airframe hours still left in them” “Hardly surprising given the number of hours they rack up each year. Keep the Tranche ones until the arrival of Tempest in my opinion. With roughly half the airframe hours still left in them and could be upgraded if and when required!” Super simple really and explained by Janes via Google. I’m beginning to think you use another name on here due to your ignorance and plain stupidity.… Read more »
LIke misinterpreting what I said at the start of this thread, dumb.
Try to at least educate yourself in future prior to posting and misinterpreting others posts to fit your misguided agenda plus, misinforming others as to the regular occurrence of fuel leaks on aircraft and the downtime caused by it and ageing airframes.
On the plus side, you’ve found a like-minded friend.
Use GOOGLE!
https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-21-101sp.pdf
You never did get the hang of the comments section did you Nigel. Even manages to fall out with experienced aircraft engineers 😄. What a plonker.
ZJ928 is an upgraded Tranche 1
To what Tranche and what equipment has been added? I would be interested to find this out!
It will always be a Tranche 1 build (F2) but has been upgraded to Block 5 standard. https://www.raf.mod.uk/aircraft/typhoon-fgr4/ I imagine that it will be one of the ones being retired as afaik it won’t have received the Project Centurion upgrades.
Greatly appreciated, thank you!
Such technical issues have nothing to do with flying hours. These problems can crop up on brand new aircraft.
Agree