Mud HELPS plane in Trabzon, ancient Trebizond

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Barbara
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Mud HELPS plane in Trabzon, ancient Trebizond

Post by Barbara »

In what must be one of the most spectacular aviation industry incidents of all time, 162 passengers and crew escaped safely from a Boeing 737-800 which ran into dire mire yesterday at the airport of the Black Sea coastal capital, Trabzon.

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A domestic discount carrier, Pegasus Airlines, named for the winged horse of ancient mythology, slid on ice while landing at Trabzon Airport on the Vigil of St Basil's Day. Surely the Saint, a native of Cappadocia, in central Anatolia, was helping the flight from nearby Ankara to the north coast. Remarkably, Saint Basil had founded a monastic community in Pontus, of which capital Trabzon [ Trebizond ] was during Byzantine times. To this day, Byzantine churches can be seen here.

Let us consider the contrast. Where the Ventura County coastal town of Montecito suffered catastrophic damage beyond belief from mudslides in recent days, this accident was surely mitigated by heavenly help.

The plane slid off the runway and, as pictured above, plummeted down a sharp embankment, headed straight for the chilly Black Sea waters. The Boeing lost its starboard engine, according to Aviation Week. But its port engine and wheels slowed the plane's descent enough to mire it in the icy mud up to its fuselage. The nose of the plane rested just yards from what used to be called the Euxine Sea in classical Greek.

All aboard were safely evacuated. Observers are debating whether this particular Pegasus, registration TC-CPF, will fly again. The heroic airliner will need a thorough cleaning and overhaul, with some speculating the need for the 737 to go to Boeing for the work. One thing seems sure : as the legendary winged steed was immortal, so the aircraft should get through this to fly again -- safely, this time, we hope.

At least a much greater disaster, plunging into the Black Sea, was averted - I believe by the help of one of the great patron Saints of Anatolia, St Basil the Great.

Here, mud ASSISTED a situation by acting as a powerful brake on the plane's descent off the sharp cliff. Along the coast of Southern California not far from Santa Barbara, mud had been the cause of a major disaster a mere 3 days earlier.

Maybe Montecito should be renamed San Basilio to avoid future such trouble !

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Maria
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Re: Mud HELPS plane in Trabzon, ancient Trebizond

Post by Maria »

Sometimes mud is a blessing.

  • It softens the fall, if you happen to slip and fall.

    It is used to cleanse the face as in a mud pack.

    And working with mud (clay) can be fun.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

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Barbara
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Re: Mud HELPS plane in Trabzon, ancient Trebizond

Post by Barbara »

That's a therapeutic way of looking at this !
Pegasus Airways issued a terse statement, merely describing the dramatic mud-slowed plane a "Runway Excursion incident".

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The miracle aircraft being raised out of the mud by 2 large cranes. Note how the Pegasus flying horse logo is displayed on the upturned starboard wing, ironic at the moment but a promise of airborne days ahead after some R & R for the traumatized jet.

What was the source of the problem ? The best answer so far was the pilot's :

"When we were going to make our usual manoeuvre towards the right from the seaside by reducing our speed, the right engine suddenly gained speed for a reason we do now [sic: I think this was meant to read : DO NOT ] know,” a pilot [said].

“Due to this speed, the plane got out of our control and suddenly swung to the left and got stuck into the mud in the cliff."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/01 ... -incident/

The plane was rescued on the Vigil of Theophany. The fact that the 41 ton aircraft descended to the shore of the sea but politely stopped - or was stopped by angels together with mud - just short of the body of water in the days leading up to the Holy Feast of the Lord's Baptism seems significant. It was as though waiting humbly for the Lord's immersion first, while pointing its nose in the direction of the watery realm as a way to call attention the upcoming Feast, where bodies of water around the world are blessed. In fact, the attention of the world was riveted to this spectacular scene during that week. OK - a stretch, but just for fun.

In any event, I hope the local Orthodox clergy were active in blessing this section of the Black Sea coast that very next day -- Jan 19th -- after the airliner was elevated to safety from its muddy niche !

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