Close call at work tonight

[SunTracker]

I'm sure somebody is going to say this is routine, but it wasn't.

I had just gotten to work, and was walking from my truck to the guard shack.  I saw a large UPS 757 on the runway getting ready to take off.  I could see the heat shimmering out of its engines, and the pilot was swishing the rudder back and forth.  So I walked to where I could see it good, and stood there because I wanted to watch it take off.

So I am there waiting, and waiting, and I look behind me, and theres several lights in the sky - planes on approach for landing.  This one light keeps getting closer, and closer, and I thought to myself "where in the world is he going to land?".  This big DC8 is coming in slow, with its nose high, and I thought for sure it was going to land on top of the 757.  Finally, as it was passing over the parking lot, I heard the engines throttle up and I could see the landing gear being retracted.   It still had full flaps down and had to have been less than 1000 feet high, but it slowly leveled off and continued over the runway.  In my head I could hear the lso officer from the begining scene of Top Gun "Wave off-Wave off-Full Power!"

I heard somewhere that airline pilots are only allowed 3 'go-arounds' a year.  Maybe thats why this DC8 pilot was so reluctant to not go-around.

[deSelys]

Originally posted by SunTracker
....
I heard somewhere that airline pilots are only allowed 3 'go-arounds' a year.  Maybe thats why this DC8 pilot was so reluctant to not go-around.

If this is true this is the dumbest regulation I've ever heard... I would have 500 go-arounds better than 1 crash.

[BGBMAW]

dude thats good ..thats 3 go arounds  when YOU ARE LANDING ON RUNWAY OPOSITE OF THE ONE You were Ordered too...


just my thought..these guys are tower econtroled...


"WoodChuck to Grey Squirrl..You are cleared for 270 LEft,,,,,"


Or did he hear...

" Woodchuck..to Grey Squirrel..cleard for RWY 090 Right"



ya...im bet someone screweup..


I had a guy com in on final..w/no no radio ,,while i was on final comen doen the DESIGNAted  up wind rnwy... he wauin soem open cokpit joby..real asshowle

[Dago]

I heard somewhere that airline pilots are only allowed 3 'go-arounds' a year.

Yeah, and I heard that winters duration is controlled by a groundhog.

You saw a go around.  They happen, and virtually without failure they are not the fault of the pilot, and everybody knows that.  

There is no reg or internal rule limiting how many times a pilot can avoid crashing into another aircraft.

dago

[lasersailor184]

You'd be surprised how close they fly those things.  It's scary.

[Bodhi]

Originally posted by lasersailor184
You'd be surprised how close they fly those things.  It's scary.

Please astonish us ohh bearer of airline doomsday stories....

[CavPuke]

Well if there is any truth to the 3 go arounds per career story( which ain't true, but sounds like a good wife's tale for the budding bus-in-the-sky driver wannabes)  then there are a boatload of Continental and Jet Link drivers looking for a new position on a daily basis here at Bush InterContinental Airport in Houston  Usually there is one shared, departure and arrival, runway RY26R/RY8L, and the normal spacing is 2 1/2 - 6 miles between IFR arrivals depending on the wake turbulence spacing required.  The Tower will put a departure in the "hole"  as soon as the preceeding a/c crossses the runway threshold and launch with a "No Delay or Immediate" Take Off" clearance as soon as the arrival has turned onto the highspeed off the runway.  95 times out of a 100 this works with no problems, but all it takes is the arrival missing a highspeed turnoff or the departure slow on it's roll ("auto-throttles" the killer of the squeeze play ) and you get "COA1191 Go Around, Traffic on the Runway"

[SunTracker]

There has to be some validity to the 3 go-arounds a year.  But its been so long ago I can't even remember where I heard it.  Using logic, I bet they are go-arounds due to pilot error, not uncontrolable factors.

[Toad]

There is absolutely NO VALIDITY to "3 go-arounds a year". That's horse exhaust.

No FAA regulation to that effect exists and I seriously doubt ANY company would have that in it's Flight Operations manual.

Why?

Can you see the lawyer's salivating?

"So, Captain.... even though the wind was beyond aircraft limitations for landing, you had an ice-covered runway and another aircraft performed an unauthorized runway incursion right in front of you, you continued the approach and crashed in the flare. Why did you not go around?

"Well, it's like this... the company would fire me if I had one more go-around this year, so I just went for it."


Yah, right. Who dreams up this stuff?

SAFETY is the #1 item in every Flight Ops manual.

[rpm]

You guys are thinking Naval Aviation and carrier landings.

[Psyco]

I have heard first-hand from a now retired 747 Captain that newbies are intimidated and will take-off into marginal weather to avoid delaying scheduled take-off times. Situation mentioned to me:

Bad weather all around airport with a few bad cells directly in the flightpath after take-off. A newbie Captian for a mid-sized airline was #1 for take-off, just received clearance but he was staring a plane eating cell flashing lightning at his 12 O'clock about 3 miles out. My friend the retired captain (RC) listened as the newbie was nearly arguing with the tower requesting a delay until the cell moved from his 12 O'clock moving to his right, but they were not buying it, and replied that he was holding-up traffic. RC got on the radio and told the kid (that's how RC referred to him) the 100+ lives behind him were his responsibility, and that it was his call, not the towers. The newbie again requested a delay or a return to the gate, after a pause the tower provided a short delay and revised departure course to avoid the cell. RC said the airline companies will come down on pilots that mess with their schedules, but it is more of a power ploy, it boils down to the PIC calling the shots.

Psyco

[Toad]

Originally posted by Psyco
RC said the airline companies will come down on pilots that mess with their schedules, Psyco

23 years and cod knows how many flights and I've NEVER seen or heard of a Chief Pilot question a Captain's decision on safety of flight at my airline.


NEVER.

[SunTracker]

I remember where I heard the "3 go-arounds" a year now.  It was a history channel show about air crashes.  

Someone told me you flew Cessnas commercially Toad.  Which model?

[Toad]

Cessnas? Yeah, but not commercially. 150, 152,172,177,180,182 and the 210 IIRC.

Commercially, I've flown some non-Cessna stuff like Boeings and Lockheeds.

[Octavius]

Originally posted by BGBMAW
,,while i was on final comen doen the DESIGNAted  up wind rnwy... he wauin soem open cokpit joby..real asshowle

wtf did you just say?