It’s now Monday Afternoon in Tokyo. I arrived yesterday afternoon after a nice layover in Hong Kong. Got to visit my friend Paul while there. We had a nice day starting with a dim sum lunch and ending with a nice seafood dinner. We got to catch up on what happened in the last few years since I had not been to Hong Kong in a while. Last month we started flying the A-330 there and it was fun to be back again. Last month I posted some pictures of the Hanoi Road Biergarten. This time I am including a couple of pictures from a several days ago.
This morning I awoke to a flurry of helicopter noise around our hotel near Narita airport. These choppers were staying around so I immediately thought that something was going on. Maybe a demonstration (not to unusual here, since the local farmers or hired demonstrators are always protesting the airport expansion) or something happened at the airport. CNN did not have anything yet so I checked the internet and there I found that a FedEx MD-11 had crashed at NRT around 7 am. Not a welcome sight! It is sad and devastating to see this happen and our aviation community mourns for the two pilots that did not survive. It’s been very windy here in Tokyo. When I landed here yesterday it was the co-pilot’s leg and he had his hands full with the gusty winds. Besides that he was also getting a “line check,” which is an operational check ride that we get periodically without previous warning. I had mine the leg before going into Hong Kong. I don’t know what the real cause of the accident was but the winds appear to be a contributing factor. After this accident many flights into and out of Tokyo’s Narita International airport either got cancelled or delayed. Only one runway (the short one not able to accommodate B747’s) is open so only smaller widebodies and narrowbodies can arrive and depart. So far my departure flight is ok, since I am leaving on a repositioning leg (riding in the back) to Osaka for my flight to Honolulu tomorrow. It’s on a Boeing 757. Northwest had several 747’s and some A330’s here for scheduled layovers last night. If you watched the videos and pictures of the accident, you might have seen them parked at the terminal in the background.
Well it is almost time for me to go so watch for additional updates coming up soon.
Sayonara,
Captain Bill
My frind Paul with Schrimp
Dim Sum at Lunch
Bill and Paul
Find more like this: Captain Bill's Travels
So good to see you enjoying Japan. I live vicariously through your travels, I hope you don’t mind. I saw the news clip of the FEDEX flight accident, very sad. Be careful and we are looking forward to your next blog post!
The Randall Family
Charlevoix, Michigan
Hi Bill,
please fly safely! But I could handle Honolulu just about now. Don’t get sunburned, you hear?
Hi to Darlene.
Margita & Robert
Bill- wish I could’ve joined you for some of that tasty food. Glad that crash didn’t involve you but sad nonetheless. That shot of Mt Fuji is a beauty. I’m guessing you were at 35,000 ft? Look forward to seeing you in August!