MovieChat Forums > Airport '77 (1977) Discussion > Intact or not?

Intact or not?

posted 19 years ago by jusukilappa784
4 replies | jump to latest

Today when we think about a major airliners hulls reaction to hard impact with water surface, the scene where the 747 finally splashes into the waves looks pretty unrealistic, but of course it was done with that days effects.
But in real life, if a 747 comes down like that, the whole plane would most likely break apart, into major pieces of fuselage at least.
To prove this I saw a real video footage clip from 1996 when a 767 was hijacked. A tourist got the clip on film, when the 767 ditches nearby a beach. A moment later sliding on the water, the plane broke apart.

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] oo447762552341 18 years ago

true, I just seen Match Point by Woody Allen, and the main guy has a Motorola mobile phone, but its ring tone is from a Nokia, its call Nokia ring tone on a Nokia phone.

and this movie is on tv right now

[–] erzug 11 years ago

Probably because it hit wing first and started to cart-wheel in the water.

[–] Blueghost 11 years ago

Water landings are not routine, but are doable. Navy pilots train for them so they can safely ditch a plane in the ocean. Like the other poster mentioned, the problem with the Zulu ditch was that it didn't land level because it had run out of fuel about a half hour before, and therefore the hydraulics were out making the landing a difficult proposition. But, it has been done.

The real problem with this movie is that even if the plane survived the landing, and somehow sank intact, is that a 747 isn't designed to resist external pressure, but to hold atmosphere in. And therefore there would have all kinds of leaks from the get go as external pressure overwhelmed the seals on the doors and windows.

But, it is a movie.