Originally Posted by
Blind Dog
Hello Topdrop, I was the approach controller that night in Cairns. There was 2 KC135s and the first one was on the standard 15SID with the left turn on to 030. Once airborne they maintained rwy heading to approximately 2nm before commencing a lazy left turn which took the aircraft through the narrow gap between Mt Yarrabah and Mt Murray Prior with a lateral clearence from Mt Yarrabah of approximately 200feet but well below the peaks of both mountains.
The second 135s crew were given a rather extensive explanation of the 15SID by the ADC and then when they were airborne the aircraft flew an identical flight path to the first 135.
The weather at time was strong southerly winds with heavy rain.
All these years later and i still wonder if it was some sort pre programed track.
Even if it's programmed, they should have realised that it is a REQUIREMENT to have a
minimum AOB of 25 degrees, and that there's a speed restriction of 190kts. Isn't this what the industry has been trying to prevent - pilots becoming children of the magenta line? Judging by what has been reported above, this C-17 crew didn't obey those two requirements, lazily banking and accelerating to 250kts. Isn't this covered in the preflight briefing?
Also, someone said that this was a transport flight, not a training exercise - difference types of mission, no?