Originally Posted by
TwinJock
You do make some valid points, but it seems you see the failures in isolation.
The crew was definitely aware that they had an Engine failure, and that should have been the priority. The possibility of tire damage, which was only confirmed hours later by sending up a fighter aircraft, seems to me to have became the focus of the crew.
I still maintain that "hanging" around for hours on a single engine is not the best option available to the crew. If it was purely a tire problem, with 2 engines turning, then they can stay airborne as long as they want, think about it, contact whoever they wanted to, and figured out how to intercept a radial.
If SE was not a problem as you stated, why didn't the crew fly for 4 hours towards destination and then land - if this is indeed the safest option. Twin with an Engine failure should land at nearest suitable airport in terms of time, and 4 hours sounds way excessive.....
This wasn't a twin with an engine failure. This was a twin with an engine failure and reduced braking capability, and the high possibility of more tire bursting on landing. I find it strange that you thing that I am the one thinking of the failures in isolation when you want to just land ASAP(or close to it) without serious considerations of the ramifications of further tires bursting and significantly reduced deceleration capability.
The crew could have flown four hours(or whatever time it would take to get to MLW-or less weight) but logic would make someone stay around Madrid due to potential further degradation of systems, the good weather and runways with a long LDA available. Too bad they didn't use one long runways into wind.