[s-cars] NAC- Fw: Watch narrow escape

[Tom Green]

Sorta like getting a citation (medal) for extricating your unit from  
a position you led them into, huh?  Or, after his initial dumbshit,  
the pilot showed remarkable skill in avoiding disaster.  This guy had  
every clue telling him he was headed down the wrong path but he  
decided to push the envelope well beyond his and the airplane's  
capability.

Actually, I think ATC had advised the pilot many times of the present  
and the forecast weather conditions there, including the strong winds  
bearing down on the field.  He was just trying to beat the weather in  
but he was way too late.  Then, of course, that little maneuver to  
dip the wing to align the nose down the runway when he was less than  
1/2 a wingspan above the runway just about did him in.  He probably  
would have broken an A320 tail by trying to put in that much  
crosswind correction, as well as scraped the wingtip.   He probably  
needs to read the book before his simulator recertification.

Of course, a correction was required or the airplane would have  
continued in the
direction it was pointing when it touched down, unless it was Hap's  
C5 where they aligned the main gear bogeys with the centerline and  
kept the crab until they left the runway- at  a taxiway, a very funny  
feeling and a whole lot less than any 20 degrees - sorta like 4-wheel  
steering but at highway speed.

If you are 45 degrees off the runway heading, you won't even see the  
runway unless you're in a tactical jet with all-around visibility, or  
you're sitting is seat 35A.  :-)  Some comments from the rear of the  
aircraft would have been illuminating, if
those people were still conscious and not totally speechless.

Even with approach control vectoring you to the marker 10 degrees  
right of the final approach course, it's still difficult to visualize  
just how far in your side window the runway will be when you break  
out at 100' with the snow blowing sideways across your visual path  
and most of your usual visual clues  missing, (and this is in an  
airplane that is only crabbed 10 degrees).

I doubt there was anyone in that aircraft that said what an amazing  
job the pilot did. There would probably have been a flight deck  
mutiny over plan B.  :-)  I bet there is so much litigation over that  
episode that the video gets pulled pretty soon.

Tom



> Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2008 22:37:06 -0700
> From: <calvinlc at earthlink.net>
> Subject: Re: [s-cars] Fw: Watch Narrow escape
> To: "Tom Black" <tblack5 at cogeco.ca>,	<s-car-list at audifans.com>
> Message-ID: <LPBBKNNJKBFLAOBBFLOMMENHJIAA.calvinlc at earthlink.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"
>
> OK, I have seen this video like 10 times and I must say that the  
> pilot, in
> my opinion, is a dumbass.  I'll wait for Hap to weigh in on this  
> one, but,
> here's the simple question: If you are 75 feet off the deck and 45  
> degrees
> off-line with the runway, do you...
> A) keep descending and hope the wind suddenly stops blowing and it
> straightens out
> B) try and go around again in similar conditions
> C) find an airport nearby with a runway that is not situated 90  
> degrees to
> the stinkin' wind direction!!!
>
> In my world of values where my life is pretty high up on the list I  
> think C
> is better than B is better than A.
>
> A lot of people have looked at this and said what an amazing job  
> the pilot
> did.  Yes, he did, but that's like saying I was traveling 100 mph  
> down a
> residential street and narrowly missed a kid who darted out in the
> street...boy am I a good driver.  I do not pilot large commercial  
> jets but
> this just seems like common sense to me.
>
> --Calvin
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com
> [mailto:s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com]On Behalf Of Tom Black
> Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 9:40 AM
> To: s-car-list at audifans.com
> Subject: [s-cars] Fw: Watch Narrow escape
>
>
> Sorry NAC.......Something to think about on a Monday.
>
> Narrow escape
>
> Video:
> 3 Mar 08: Pilots of a plane carrying hundreds of passengers  
> narrowly avoided
> catastrophe when their Airbus A320 tried to land in a storm.
> http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1137942530/ 
> bclid1155254697/bct
> id1439799637

>