737 in Albany via barge

[SmAlbany]

I noticed this at the port of Albany on the Hudson River today. It came by barge and then was lifted ashore with a crane.

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o215/Sacandaga86/null_zps24145ea3.jpg (http://s121.photobucket.com/user/Sacandaga86/media/null_zps24145ea3.jpg.html)

Anyone have ideas on where it came from or where it is going? My only guess is that it might be the WN one from the incident at LGA? Arriving in this manner indicates that it is not flight worthy yet it appears to be intact otherwise. Even has the satellite bump and winglets. Quite a surprise visitor!

[Mateo]

The picture didn't come through, but if it's entirely wrapped in blue plastic, then yes, it's the incident aircraft from Southwest at LaGuardia. I saw a photo of it at the Port in Newark a week or so ago.

[Landing Lights]

That looks an awful lot like the 737 that I was sent a picture of a couple weeks ago from somebody at LGA who was wondering what an all blue 737 was doing there. In that picture you couldn't tell that it was wrapped, it looked more like they took "Canyon Blue" paint and painted over any identifying markings. This picture looks like they've used the blue shrink wrap that is used to winterize boats.

[SmAlbany]

Thanks for the replies. I assume that it will go out by rail but I imagine that it will need to be taken apart some first. And it still begs the question of its destination. Will they scrap it?

[Gerard]

Thought it was going to be used as the Blue Mans Group private plane!!:rolleyes::eek:

[gonzalu]

Tat is odd... why Albany of all places? And it looks fine otherwise...

[GrummanFan]

Please keep us updated. Hopefully I can make it down there for a quick shot before it leaves for wherever. Further movements would probably make for interesting spotting...

[SmAlbany]

There were no news articles in the local media that I saw, so at this point all I can do is guess. Scrapping it seems unlikely since there would be plenty of choices other than Albany to do that. Perhaps heading to RME? Once again, mode of transport remains a big question. I can see the top of the tail out my window at work. It's still there as of this morning.

[DHG750R]

Doubt it is headed for scrapping, they would have done it at LGA, if you look closely the nose gear has been repaired as some of the sheet metal behind where the E/E bay is. RME might be a possibility, Premiere Aviation in Rome does mods and heavy mtc

[PhilDernerJr]

At first I doubted it was the WN incident aircraft because of how intact the gear was and I assumed that the bird from that incident would have received structural damage and been a write-off considering the nose slammed down on the ground as hard as it did.

They wouldn't spend the money to repair that much if they weren't going to put it into service. Anyone know if Southwest owned or leased that bird?

[SmAlbany]

Well, according to the local paper, it is indeed the WN jet from LGA. Apparently just going to be stored here until the investigation concludes. Seems like a lot of trouble and an odd location for that.

http://tablet.olivesoftware.com/Olive/Tablet/AlbanyTimesUnion/SharedArticle.aspx?href=HATU%2F2013%2F11%2F09&id=Pc02205 (http://tablet.olivesoftware.com/Olive/Tablet/AlbanyTimesUnion/SharedArticle.aspx?href=HATU%2F2013%2F11%2F09&id=Pc02205)

[Mateo]

Anyone know if Southwest owned or leased that bird?SWA owned it.

[GrummanFan]

Here's the article SmAlbany referred to:

http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Wrapped-and-ready-for-review-4969070.php

[Gerard]

The picture didn't come through, but if it's entirely wrapped in blue plastic, then yes, it's the incident aircraft from Southwest at LaGuardia. I saw a photo of it at the Port in Newark a week or so ago.

Surprised there were no other sightings by our intrepid reporters unless they moved it in the wee hours!! A shrink wrapped plane leaving LGA, down the East River across the Harbor to the Port of Newark then north up the Hudson River isnt something someone sees every day.

[PhilDernerJr]

Excellent point. Eve non-aviation guys would have picked up on that and uploaded it somewhere.

[LGA777]

It was moved in the cover of darkness a few Sat night ago from LGA to the Port of Newark initially. It was towed from the AA hangar to the end of the 22 deck then a large crane lifted it onto the barge. Whole move was very hush hush and literally in the middle of the night.

[Gerard]

It was moved in the cover of darkness a few Sat night ago from LGA to the Port of Newark initially. It was towed from the AA hangar to the end of the 22 deck then a large crane lifted it onto the barge. Whole move was very hush hush and literally in the middle of the night.

And there you have it!! Thank you!!

[PhilDernerJr]

Do you know if it was shrink wrapped at LGA or someplace else?

[Landing Lights]

I was sent this back on 10/20 by one of my Twitter followers, @CGOApps. Looks like it was wrapped in plastic that far back.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7383/10797904405_c020e5e8ba_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30467068@N00/10797904405/)

[Spunker]

It is actually Phil's Christmas present, it just needs a big red bow.

[LGA777]

The shrink wrap was done at LGA prior to the move and the Sat night of the move was well planned to conicede with the LAX event so that many key NYC aviation photogs would be on the other coast just in case news got leaked out helping to avoid any photos of the move.

[Gerard]

The shrink wrap was done at LGA prior to the move and the Sat night of the move was well planned to conicede with the LAX event so that many key NYC aviaiton photogs would be on the other coast just in case news got leaked out helping to avoid any photos of the move.

Hahaha now start the conspiracy theories!!!!!!!!!:rolleyes:
But if it IS TRUE it shows the power of this group!!!!! :cool:

[snydersnapshots]

It was moved in the cover of darkness a few Sat night ago from LGA to the Port of Newark initially. It was towed from the AA hangar to the end of the 22 deck then a large crane lifted it onto the barge. Whole move was very hush hush and literally in the middle of the night.

I'm thinking that the "cover of darkness" was done more to avoid traffic disruption than it was to avoid photographers. I'm sure the towing/lifting operation took quite awhile and by doing it in the middle of the night they were able to avoid closing the runway during the busy time of the day (which is about any time at LGA).

I talked to a mechanic at LGA shortly after that happened and he said the fuselage skin was rippled all the way back to the air conditioning pack bays, which to me indicates that the keel beam was bent; how much, I don't know. Apparently Boeing reps were at LGA looking at the airframe and I don't know what their opinion was. (Disclaimer: I'm a pilot, not a mechanic--maybe someone from the maintenance side of the house can weigh in)

Speculation here on my part, but I'm thinking they might have (or be in the process of) fixing the airplane. The reason I say that is the fact that they have a real nose gear on the airplane. You can see the towing turn limit marks on the bottom of the airplane, indicating that they don't want to damage the nose gear. If the airplane wasn't going to fly again, I wouldn't think they would go to the expense of putting another nose gear on it just to tow it out, put it on a barge, and tow it elsewhere for scrapping. In that case I think they would have put the nose on a dolly for towing. Another clue is the shrink wrap. They obviously don't want the weather to get to the airplane. If they were just worried about the publicity, I'm sure a coat of paint would be cheaper than shrink-wrap.

That being said, is there a museum or A&P school in Albany near where they took the airplane? Another option would be for them to make cosmetic repairs to the fuselage/nosegear, remove all the re-usable equipment, and donate the rest to a museum or school.

This wouldn't be the first time a wrecked airplane has been repaired and flown: I flew with a guy several years ago who wrecked a Lockheed L-300 (C-130) on an ice flow supporting a US Navy facility. They landed and the ice was rougher than they expected and the wings got to flapping and the spar broke. The insurance company totaled the airplane and the airline bought the hulk back for pennies on the dollar. They flew parts and people up to fix it, and Gerry flew it off the ice later that year...

[Kiffy]

I flew with a guy several years ago who wrecked a Lockheed L-300 (C-130) on an ice flow supporting a US Navy facility. They landed and the ice was rougher than they expected and the wings got to flapping and the spar broke.
I'm guessing it was this one? Looks pretty nasty!
http://i.imgur.com/E3ybC73.jpg?3
http://www.c-130hercules.net/acftdb/LPNs/LPN.php?lpn=4209


This wouldn't be the first time a wrecked airplane has been repaired and flown:
Don't forget about N471WN that ran off the runway at MDW...
0975371
Less then a year later it was flying again as N286WN...
1107446

[SmAlbany]

No major airframe repair places in Albany that I'm aware of. The area that it is being stored in is normally used to stage generators (both gas turbine and wind power turbine blades) as they are coming and going by water. As the newspaper story states, it is apparently just going to sit in Albany at the port until the investigation is completed and then it will leave by the same way that it arrived

[gonzalu]

Well, Boeing can set up shop on a ramp or runway if need be :smile: no need for special facilities

2344623 Created by Airliners.net BBCode Generator (http://mannyphoto.com/airliners.php)

Of course, the flying out part will be interesting... I think that storage yard is long enough LOL.

[snydersnapshots]

I'm guessing it was this one? Looks pretty nasty!
http://i.imgur.com/E3ybC73.jpg?3
http://www.c-130hercules.net/acftdb/LPNs/LPN.php?lpn=4209


Don't forget about N471WN that ran off the runway at MDW...
0975371
Less then a year later it was flying again as N286WN...
1107446

WOW! Yep, I'd guess that's the one.

[Landing Lights]

According to the Dallas Morning News (http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/2013/11/remember-that-southwest-airlines-jet-that-slid-down-the-runway-it-wont-be-flying-again.html/), the plane has been written off.

[gonzalu]

According to the Dallas Morning News (http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/2013/11/remember-that-southwest-airlines-jet-that-slid-down-the-runway-it-wont-be-flying-again.html/), the plane has been written off.

Wow! That is interesting... even the LOT Bellyflopper flew again, no?

[NickPeterman]

I was pretty sure the LOT bellyflopper never flew again, which was why the 787 delays were such a huge issue for LOT

[moose135]

No, the LOT 767 did not return to service. Often times, it's not a question of whether the aircraft can be repaired, but whether it is economically worth repairing it.

[gonzalu]

I didn't say in-service... I said flew again :wink:

[SmAlbany]

The latest update from the local paper is that the Southwest 737 is destined to be scrapped. It's only being held at the port of albany until litigation is settled.

http://www.timesunion.com/business/article/Jet-bound-for-scrap-5187232.php

[Simpilot17]

Is it still there? It could take up to a year for the litigation and the investigation.

[SmAlbany]

Yep, still there. I can see the top of the tail out of my office window.

[SmAlbany]

I was across the street from the storage site this week. The are disassembling it where it sits. Tail and engines are now gone. :frown: