8 Votes (5.00 Average) and 5,881 Views  

Airbus A319 (N816AW) - The precipitation had only started falling about 20 minutes earlier, but it was coming down heavier each moment and the wind was picking up too (check out the sock) so the pilots of AAs Flt. 592 to PHX were really rather focused on getting airborne as quickly as possible.  The precip was a blend of freezing rain and snow which was turning the runways, taxiways, and roadways into skating rinks.  The tower was calling visibility at 1.5 miles (the tower is just barely visible over the AA A319) and the Ops folks had just closed runway 7-25 in order to concentrate all their efforts on running the sweepers and plows down 16R-34L and 16L-34R between planes in an attempt to get the newly-fallen precip off the runway surfaces before it could freeze into ice.  Meanwhile, the pilots wanted to get out so they did not have to return to the ramp to be deiced.  The first five morning departures (a United, a Horizon, a Southwest, this and one other AA) made it, but then, with visibility down to minimum, the wind steadily increasing from out of the north and the runways becoming more and more slick, the tower had no choice but to reverse the runway direction, and all the next morning departures began being delayed.
/images/icons/csMagGlass.png medium / large / full

Airbus A319 (N816AW)

Submitted

The precipitation had only started falling about 20 minutes earlier, but it was coming down heavier each moment and the wind was picking up too (check out the sock) so the pilots of AA's Flt. 592 to PHX were really rather focused on getting airborne as quickly as possible. The precip was a blend of freezing rain and snow which was turning the runways, taxiways, and roadways into skating rinks. The tower was calling visibility at 1.5 miles (the tower is just barely visible over the AA A319) and the Ops folks had just closed runway 7-25 in order to concentrate all their efforts on running the sweepers and plows down 16R-34L and 16L-34R between planes in an attempt to get the newly-fallen precip off the runway surfaces before it could freeze into ice. Meanwhile, the pilots wanted to get out so they did not have to return to the ramp to be deiced. The first five morning departures (a United, a Horizon, a Southwest, this and one other AA) made it, but then, with visibility down to minimum, the wind steadily increasing from out of the north and the runways becoming more and more slick, the tower had no choice but to reverse the runway direction, and all the next morning departures began being delayed.

Comments

Please log in or register to post a comment.

Gary SchenauerPhoto Uploader
Meanwhile, I had my own problems: I was having a devil of a time trying to keep my lens glass dry (lol)! And I was there specifically to get captures of UA's "Eco-Skies" special livery, so when they suddenly swapped the runway departure direction, I had to hustle to the other side of the airport because the precip was so thick I would never have caught it on the climb from this position. Fortunately for me, Eco-Skies ended up in the long queue waiting to depart on 34L so I was able to reposition and get clicks of it (thru thick snowfall) as it rotated and began its climb from 34L.
cliff731
Gary, my hat's off to you... I'm feeling the damp frigid chill just looking at your photo!

Congrats on your extreme dedication in the face of severely adverse and inclement weather conditions.

"5" stars and more if there were a way!
Tom Vance
Frick...! your new nickname is " Diehard with a Vision",,,awesome calendar shot Gman! nice write up too! I'd never waited for a shot like this...
ACTIVITY LOG
Want a full history search for N816AW dating back to 1998? Buy now. Get it within one hour.
Date Aircraft Origin Destination Departure Arrival Duration
01-May-2024 A319Los Angeles Intl ()St Louis Lambert Intl () 05:28PM PDT 10:44PM CDT Scheduled
01-May-2024 A319San Francisco Int'l ()Los Angeles Intl () 03:12PM PDT 04:18PM PDT Scheduled
01-May-2024 A319Los Angeles Intl ()San Francisco Int'l () 01:11PM PDT 02:10PM PDT Scheduled
01-May-2024 A319San Francisco Int'l ()Los Angeles Intl () 11:05AM PDT 11:51AM PDT Scheduled
01-May-2024 A319Los Angeles Intl ()San Francisco Int'l () 08:47AM PDT 09:44AM PDT Scheduled
01-May-2024 A319San Francisco Int'l ()Los Angeles Intl () 06:21AM PDT 07:20AM PDT Scheduled
30-Apr-2024 A319Los Angeles Intl ()San Francisco Int'l () 08:15PM PDT 09:27PM PDT Scheduled
30-Apr-2024 A319Lic. Benito Juarez Int'l ()Los Angeles Intl () 02:34PM CST 05:12PM PDT En Route
30-Apr-2024 A319Los Angeles Intl ()Lic. Benito Juarez Int'l () 08:39AM PDT 12:42PM CST 3:03
29-Apr-2024 A319St Louis Lambert Intl ()Los Angeles Intl () 07:36PM CDT 09:12PM PDT 3:36
29-Apr-2024 A319LaGuardia ()St Louis Lambert Intl () 05:21PM EDT 06:24PM CDT 2:02
29-Apr-2024 A319Chicago O'Hare Intl ()LaGuardia () 01:35PM CDT 04:20PM EDT 1:45
29-Apr-2024 A319LaGuardia ()Chicago O'Hare Intl () 11:29AM EDT 12:17PM CDT 1:48
29-Apr-2024 A319Chicago O'Hare Intl ()LaGuardia () 06:10AM CDT 08:48AM EDT 1:38
28-Apr-2024 A319LaGuardia ()Chicago O'Hare Intl () 07:08PM EDT 08:00PM CDT 1:51
28-Apr-2024 A319Charlotte/Douglas Intl ()LaGuardia () 04:46PM EDT 06:07PM EDT 1:21
28-Apr-2024 A319Key West Intl ()Charlotte/Douglas Intl () 01:36PM EDT 03:26PM EDT 1:50
28-Apr-2024 A319Dallas-Fort Worth Intl ()Key West Intl () 08:41AM CDT 12:39PM EDT 2:58
23-Apr-2024 A319Columbia Metro ()Dallas-Fort Worth Intl () 07:34AM EDT 09:06AM CDT 2:31
22-Apr-2024 A319Dallas-Fort Worth Intl ()Columbia Metro () 08:32PM CDT 11:25PM EDT 1:53
22-Apr-2024 A319Columbia Metro ()Dallas-Fort Worth Intl () 05:22PM EDT 06:41PM CDT 2:19
22-Apr-2024 A319Dallas-Fort Worth Intl ()Columbia Metro () 01:14PM CDT 04:11PM EDT 1:56
22-Apr-2024 A319San Antonio Intl ()Dallas-Fort Worth Intl () 11:07AM CDT 11:52AM CDT 0:45
22-Apr-2024 A319Dallas-Fort Worth Intl ()San Antonio Intl () 09:23AM CDT 10:10AM CDT 0:46
22-Apr-2024 A319Des Moines Intl ()Dallas-Fort Worth Intl () 05:14AM CDT 06:40AM CDT 1:25
21-Apr-2024 A319Dallas-Fort Worth Intl ()Des Moines Intl () 09:35PM CDT 11:02PM CDT 1:26
21-Apr-2024 A319Kansas City Intl ()Dallas-Fort Worth Intl () 06:21PM CDT 07:35PM CDT 1:13
21-Apr-2024 A319Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()Kansas City Intl () 12:51PM MST 04:58PM CDT 2:07
21-Apr-2024 A319Bob Hope ()Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl () 09:56AM PDT 11:03AM MST 1:07
21-Apr-2024 A319Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()Bob Hope () 07:51AM MST 08:58AM PDT 1:06
21-Apr-2024 A319El Paso Intl ()Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl () 06:18AM MDT 06:14AM MST 0:55
20-Apr-2024 A319Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()El Paso Intl () 10:11PM MST 12:02AM MDT (+1) 0:50
20-Apr-2024 A319Palm Springs Intl ()Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl () 08:03PM PDT 08:49PM MST 0:45
20-Apr-2024 A319Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()Palm Springs Intl () 06:42PM MST 07:23PM PDT 0:41
20-Apr-2024 A319Albuquerque Intl Sunport ()Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl () 03:55PM MDT 03:49PM MST 0:54
20-Apr-2024 A319Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()Albuquerque Intl Sunport () 12:37PM MST 02:23PM MDT 0:45
20-Apr-2024 A319Bob Hope ()Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl () 09:57AM PDT 11:03AM MST 1:06
20-Apr-2024 A319Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()Bob Hope () 07:30AM MST 08:36AM PDT 1:06
19-Apr-2024 A319Sacramento Intl ()Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl () 07:22PM PDT 08:49PM MST 1:27
19-Apr-2024 A319Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()Sacramento Intl () 04:49PM MST 06:21PM PDT 1:32
19-Apr-2024 A319Houston Bush Int'ctl ()Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl () 02:48PM CDT 03:06PM MST 2:17
19-Apr-2024 A319Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()Houston Bush Int'ctl () 09:28AM MST 01:32PM CDT 2:03
19-Apr-2024 A319San Jose Int'l ()Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl () 06:33AM PDT 07:59AM MST 1:26
18-Apr-2024 A319Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()San Jose Int'l () 08:52PM MST 10:19PM PDT 1:27
18-Apr-2024 A319Albuquerque Intl Sunport ()Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl () 07:17PM MDT 07:22PM MST 1:05
18-Apr-2024 A319Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()Albuquerque Intl Sunport () 03:56PM MST 05:45PM MDT 0:48
17-Apr-2024 A319Dallas-Fort Worth Intl ()Milwaukee Mitchell Intl Airport () 12:45AM CDT 02:27AM CDT 1:42
Basic users (becoming a basic user is free and easy!) view 3 months history. Join
 

Login

Don't have an account? Register now (free) for customized features, flight alerts, and more!
Did you know that FlightAware flight tracking is supported by advertising?
You can help us keep FlightAware free by allowing ads from FlightAware.com. We work hard to keep our advertising relevant and unobtrusive to create a great experience. It's quick and easy to whitelist ads on FlightAware or please consider our premium accounts.
Dismiss