Originally Posted by
EDML
Of course it might have been a viable plan to keep the engine running as long as possible due to the OEI performance of this aircraft.
However, I would have expected that this plan is discussed by the flight crew members.
Furthermore, due to the topologie the traffic pattern to the north is very long - they where in the air for 9min until they crashed. With just 4kt of wind a procedure turn and a downwind landing would have been an option to get the plane on the ground ASAP. Maybe there was a reason not to do that but it should have been discussed.
Also, they should have been aware that an engine fire in a piston engine might quickly compromise the structural integrity of the aircraft. Again, that was not discussed.
Hi
EDML,
No doubt the wind conditions would have permitted a downwind landing, particularly in an emergency such as pertained.The problem, however, seems to have been keeping the a/c in the air at all. Normally, a procedure turn on a slow aeroplane like the Convair would be executed at Rate-One. That would involve nearly 20 degrees of bank, which - as we can infer from the report that they only climbed 800 ft with wings level - would inevitably have involved a loss of height. You probably know that here are two types of procedure turn in common use? At a turn-rate of Rate-One, the absolute minimum time to turn an aircraft round is 2 minutes - more likely 2 mins 30 seconds.
Apart from the possibility of a forced landing, which could easily have lead to fatalities and probably written the a/c off anyway, the only option was to nurse the airplane around a wide circuit, using minimal bank. That's what they seem to have been attempting. And don't forget that they were apparently experiencing serious flight-control problems.
By the way, I'm not expressing an opinion on flight-crew performance, because there are currently too many unknowns. I'll await a transcript of the GoPro recording, and hope that the investigators will be able to shed light on possible aileron and rudder anomalies, as well as the engine-cowl configuration.