Let's Prosper for the New Year!

Am flying back to hometown, Kuching tomorrow night after work,
Wooh, cant wait to get back home,
Dear Kolo Mee, how I miss you dearly,
Dear Mum and Dad, I'm home!
Will be on leave for 1 week, starting from 1st of February ...

Happy New Prosperous Year to All!

HapPiness
FRiendship
LOve
Satisfaction
Peace

AbundancE
ShaRing
FamIly

AffecTion
JoY

Here is a video to share with you all,
a song by Timi Zhuo Yi Ting with the title,
Mum's Reunion Dinner
It is a very significant song, as,
it reminds us to return home to visit our parents,
especially every Chinese New Year for the
much-waited Reunion Dinner on the eve.
Enjoy! :)

Cheers,
KeithK :)

A Day at Workplace ...

Early in the morning, we were dispatching a B737-400, with registration 9M-MMB after completing an A4 Check with AD/SB Modification. Initial supposedly 3 days check has been prolonged due to unforeseen reason, however, by the end of the day, each of us was glad as the aircraft soared high into the sky in a safe and soundly manner.

Phew~ Besides the A4 check packages, one of the major tasks that I had involved was the replacement of the Leading Edge Flaps and Slats Proximity Sensors. Basically, these switches provide positional indication to the pilots in the cockpit, whether, the Flaps/Slats are in the extend/retract position. Total of 8 sensors at each side of the wing were removed and replaced with new S/N complying with the AD/SB instruction. It was a first time experience for me; rather tough due to limited access area, but, eventually I managed to get the hang of it with some helps from my fellow colleagues. I was very grateful to have the opportunity to do this task, as, from what I heard through my Technician, the next aircraft coming in for similar check will not be doing this modification again due to time constraint. This task has been withdrawn from the check packages. Haha :)

Here are the pictures, enjoy!

9M-MMB on the tarmac, prior to departure.
The guy on the headset was communicating
with the Pilots in the cockpit.
From far end, some maintenance crews
were doing pre-departure check underneath the aircraft's lower fuselage.
Probably, they were checking if the
Thrust Reversal Bypass Pins have been removed or otherwise.
For your information, if these bypass pins were not removed,
the Thrust Reversal of the Engines
will not be able deployed once selected.
Ouch!

Remember this guy?
He was the person on headset
in the previous picture,
introducing, Iskandar
who works as Mechanical Trainee.
Bon Voyage MMB!
Took off to KLIA at 0900 hours ...
Have a safe flight there :)

Will be going on leave next week
for Chinese New Year ...
How's your CNY preparation so far?

See ya,
KeithK :)

Firefly to KCH via KLIA

Firefly's B737-800 is coming to Kuching!
15th of January marked the first maiden flight by Firefly,
a budget airline under the subsidiary
of its parent company, MAS.
The aircraft was given a water-cannon salute
by the Fire Engine upon arrival to Kuching International Airport.
They are now offering one-way ticket
as low as RM59 for Kuching-Kuala Lumpur route,
4 flights per day.
Today is the last day of promotion.
So, what are you waiting for,
log into here to book your flight now.
Happy Flying with Firefly!

New Livery

Decided to change The Journals' Headline
for something indifferent
Instead of the previous B777 Heliconia,
am using the B737-800 New Livery now!
Wanna something fresh to kick off for the year of 2011!
From now onward, beginning with 9M-MXA,
the new generation of B737 purchased by MAS
will be painted in this new colors design,
yet still retaining the old colors of red, blue and white.
I am doing this aircraft type now,
hopefully, everything will be smooth and fine.
Cross my fingers and pray hard!

Here is a video of MXA at
Haneda International Airport, Japan;
making its maiden commercial flight from Kota Kinabalu.
Very beautiful and such an awesomeness right?
Enjoy :)





Happy Weekend there!
Cheers,
KeithK :)

Now, I dare you to fly ...

Hello guys, I'm back! It has been such a long time since I wrote in The Journals. Phew~ Somehow or rather, I found out it is kinda hard to start a piece of writing, what to say to come out with something lengthy as before? Hmm, is that a sign of language rusty of me? To blast off, that's why I opt for something I am more familiar with, comfortable with ... My field of study, yeah. Aviation.

If you have been watching TV or read newspapers 2 days back, I bet you wont miss out this. Everyone is talking about it from mouth to mouth, even in Facebook; it has been a hot-cake discussion. Haha. On the 10th of January 2011, just days into the New Year 2011, the whole Malaysians were shocked to learn that an aircraft had crashed landed on the runway threshold prior to landing at Kuching International Airport. It was Flight AK 5218, which bear a tail mark registration of 9M-AHH from Air Asia.

The incident occurred at night, in the midst of heavy rain and ferocious wind at the airport. Flight AK 5218, an Airbus 320 was believed to have crash-landed and skidded off runway to the right before coming to halt on the pavement beside runway. As a result, the airport's operation was closed for 1 day, causing up to 80 flights to be disrupted especially departing and arrival B737-400 flights by MAS. A comparatively smaller aircrafts, ATR-72 operated by MASWings were more and less affected. It was not until 2000 hours the next day, the airport's operation resumed back to normal.

It was indeed something unusual for Malaysians, considering the numbers of serious incident involving civil aircraft is so much lower in our country. Yeah, thumb up to all the Engineers and Pilots who take so much care of the aircraft and its passengers! The main cause of the mishap is however still unclear, but, according to early reports, it may be due to bad weather conditions at the time of landing. A sudden and strong cross-wind may blow the aircraft to the right, plus, wet and watery runway contribute to a phenomenon called "aqua-planing"; thus the aircraft skidded off the runway. The actual cause of the incident will be revealed only after completion of thorough investigation. For more information, click here.

A friend of mine sent me some real-time photos taken from actual scene of Kuching International Airport. Here a glimpse of what had happened! From my point of view, as a person who works in the aviation industry, I definitely do not hope such incident will repeat itself again. Imagine if this aircraft skidded off runway, suffered severe damage and caught fire. What would happen to the passengers on-board? You wont want to know ... Thanks God, all the 129 people on board escaped safely without any critical injury. Four were admitted to medical assistance, but later were released after check-up. Hope it will not occur again, otherwise people will have trauma boarding on a flight! Haha :)

Flight AK 5218 skidded off runway to the right

A closer look! Ouch, that's pain -.-"

The Nose Landing Gear had collapsed,
both engines were severely damaged

An aerial view of Kuching International Airport.
The red-marked cross was the location of the incident - Runway 25


Chinese New Year is just around the corner,
everyone is planning for their journey
back to home town.
Wish everyone has a safe and smooth
journey back home for re-union dinner!


Cheers,
KeithK :)