This Day In Aviation History

"Jim Spanfeller" (awesomeaustinv)
09/03/2020 at 16:18 • Filed to: sorry ttyymmnn

9/3/1987

The Airbus AE86, aka “The Schnoz”, took off for the first time. Designed to “inhale” birds, drones, enemy fighter planes, suspicious jetpack users, clouds, superheroes, etc., it was one of the most ambitious flops in aviation history. Just 7 minutes after leaving the runway, it crashed into the airport and snorted an entire baggage train as well as four cars, a group of lawyers, and the kitchen where airline food was prepared before the massive engine was finally turned off. Afterwards there were numerous discussions and legal debates about why the plane failed, whose fault it was, why was this plane even built in the first place, like who needs a giant snorting plane, that makes no sense, this was a stupid project, wait were we supposed to build a passenger plane instead and the project proposals just got switched, who even thought this proposal was a good idea, oh yeah, it was Gary. Screw Gary. The imbecile... Airbus was going to be sued for the destruction they’d caused, but all the lawyers were snorted in the crash, so nothing really came of it. In the end they just tried to put it behind them and move on, and so ends the story of the world’s suckiest plane.

DISCUSSION (17)

vondon302 > Jim Spanfeller
09/03/2020 at 16:22

Nice

ttyymmnn > Jim Spanfeller
09/03/2020 at 16:23

Wow, I have my own tag now.

Well played.

Darkbrador > Jim Spanfeller
09/03/2020 at 16:25

Not Gary, Gérard . It’s an Airbus, not a Boeing.

The Boeing competitor of the AE86, designated 737supersnort (tm), stalled right after take off and dived straight into the runway. Boeing abandon ed the project shortly and focused on t ransfe ring the lessons learned into their 737MAX, with the results we all know about now.

Amoore100 > Jim Spanfeller
09/03/2020 at 16:27

Not to make baseless generalizations, but that seems more in line with the Mcdonnell Douglas way™.

Jim Spanfeller > Darkbrador
09/03/2020 at 16:27

Ga eryard?

PatBateman > Jim Spanfeller
09/03/2020 at 16:29

My favorite airplane/bird blender of all time.

Jim Spanfeller > PatBateman
09/03/2020 at 16:31

*snort*

ttyymmnn > Darkbrador
09/03/2020 at 16:40

Kinja'd!!!

NTSB recreation of the crash.

ttyymmnn > PatBateman
09/03/2020 at 16:41

Fun fact: Did you know that the chewed up bits of meat and bone and feather and blood that gets ingested into a jet engine has a name? It’s called “snarge.”