Flaps down, hairs up - you are number doom for landing

[Skybird]

A Lufthansa A320 almost crashed at Hamburg, due to the severe thunderstorm we just have had over here.

First accuses aiming at the pilot to have made a wrong decision to choose runway 23 for landing were relativised soon by comments that the 23 was the one with fully active ILS procedure.

After circling half an hour, the pilot then approached runway 33, with a finally safe landing and better wind conditions.

Just a bad day at the office...

[AVGWarhawk]

Tell me that pilot was not sweating bullets!!!!

[August]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

Tell me that pilot was not sweating bullets!!!!

Bet the passengers weren't too nonchalant about it either....

Pilot did a good job recovering though...

[mrbeast]

Saw that on the news looked pretty hairy to me!

[bookworm_020]

He won't be getting the best landing award, but at least he managed to stop it from crashing! I wonder what the pasangers thoughts were like when they approached the runway for the second time!:hmm:

[sonar732]

There were at least 3 times that the plane shouldn't have recovered.

All said...this pilot either has nerves of steal...or just plain luck!

I wonder how many years of flying they have under their belt...surely it will be in the news soon with that question. I'm also surprised that we aren't seeing any interviews being conducted online as once the newsmedia gets a hold of it, Lufthansa's phone is probably ringing off the hook for request of that sort.

[Sea Demon]

With a crossswind component like that, you're asking for trouble even attempting a landing. Should have executed a missed approach way before committing to land, and perhaps a divert if wind conditions exceeds that aircrafts performance. I'd love to see the performance charts of that aircraft and compare that to the actual conditions of that day.

[Blacklight]

Yeah. Kudos to that pilot. I would have ditched the thing. He did a very good job of reccovering. At least no one was hurt. That could have been a LOT worse.

[Skybird]

It all took place during this "Orkan" (nicknamed "Emma") we had over here, and since my hometown this time was positioned in the moving path of it's main front, three nights ago I learned that it really was a very strong one (not as strong but close to "Kyrill" last year). A lot of damage done, and some people dead. We had minor damage on our roof, too.

As I understand it, the decision against runway 33 was made in the firt because the 23 that they tried first was fully ILS-capable, and as you see it was lousy weather. The pilot took flak for not having choosen a different runway first, but this citicism has fallen silent soon after.

A reporter of a sports magazine was on board. He said that during the first landing attempt and for the time until löanding was accomplished after the second attempt, nobody on board said a single word, nobody. He said it was silent like in a grave.

I've seen the video on the TV news, since I am currently on 56K modem, I did not watch the youtube video I linked. In case it did not mark it: note that the left wingtip at some point touched and slid over the runway.

[sonar732]

Originally Posted by Skybird

I've seen the video on the TV news, since I am currently on 56K modem, I did not watch the youtube video I linked. In case it did not mark it: note that the left wingtip at some point touched and slid over the runway.

It looks like the right wing also grazed the runway around :46.

EDIT: Sky, I feel your telecom pain and enjoy your signature!

[TteFAboB]

I had a similar experience in an ATR-42, which was less dramatic, given the size of the plane and the fact that the pilot aborted before actually touching down. For a moment though, it did appear like the tip of the wing would scratch the runway. But there was no go around, we diverted to an airport with less crosswind and waited one hour untill the wind was gone to go back and land there safely.

[Skybird]

[quote=sonar732]

Originally Posted by Skybird

EDIT: Sky, I feel your telecom pain and enjoy your signature!

Don't get me started.

It was planned to have a new DSL cable open by now. Instead the planned new company let me sign the same formula threee times, and then - after letting me wait and I wrote them a letter (per email. and telephone they proved to be unavailable) - told me the order dissappeared into nirvana and was nonexistent. Ordered with another company (fifth internet-related company now) and have not heared of them since then.

Yes, I stick to my signature, to every single word in it. All experiences I ever had with private telecom companies were totally and absolutely negative from the second on some questions or problems or troubles appeared: zero points, schoolnote F, repeat class, sit down. Or better: go to hell alltogether. Even my old provider - whose contract ended - now gives me headaches afterwards. that a company gives me problems even before any contract exists is new here, though. Sets a new negative record.

[sonar732]

Originally Posted by TteFAboB

I had a similar experience in an ATR-42, which was less dramatic, given the size of the plane and the fact that the pilot aborted before actually touching down. For a moment though, it did appear like the tip of the wing would scratch the runway. But there was no go around, we diverted to an airport with less crosswind and waited one hour untill the wind was gone to go back and land there safely.

I remember in the 90's all of the problems ATR's had with icing.

Originally Posted by Skybird

I have to give him credit on a good save there. What is that? A 20 degree crab? At that point, I'd beg for a different runway.....at a less windy airport.

[Sea Demon]

Originally Posted by Zayphod

I have to give him credit on a good save there. What is that? A 20 degree crab? At that point, I'd beg for a different runway.....at a less windy airport.

Yeah, but if I owned the airline, I'd have to question his judgement in proceeding to commit to a landing that shouldn't have even been attempted. This is a situation that missed approaches are for.