..and there was more Katter Nutter Klatter when I checked my smh.com.au this morning. Me thinks he should give up politics and become an aviation journo (respect to Geoff Thomas of course). Now I see why the politicians super issue is topical..we are getting monkeys so why not pay peanuts.
Aborted landing put lives at risk, says MP
February 16, 2004
The lives of more than 100 passengers were put in danger when a Qantas pilot aborted a landing at Brisbane Airport at the last minute, federal MP Bob Katter said today.
The Queensland independent MP was one of about 150 passengers aboard the 737 aircraft flying from Sydney to Brisbane on Friday which aborted its landing.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) denied reports the jet was forced to apply power and abandon the landing because another plane was on the runway.
But Mr Katter said he thought that was the most likely explanation.
He blasted officials for failing to give passengers a satisfactory explanation of what occurred.
"He (the pilot) was almost landing and the statements made by the various authorities have been made in a very cavalier and irresponsible manner," Mr Katter told the Nine Network.
"There was no doubt, to anyone on that aeroplane, ... the rubber was just about to touch the tarmac.
"If you make a decision to go around again when you're at 1,000 feet or something that's alright.
"But when you're making it when you're only a second or two seconds away from putting the rubber on the tarmac, no, that is a decision of entirely different time.
"That's the point at which you're open to wind shears and to continue that danger period by another four or five or 10 seconds (and that) is a very bad decision to make."
Mr Katter said there had to be a good reason why the pilot aborted the landing and it was likely because there was danger ahead.
"There had to be some greater danger out there and we're not getting any answers to that," he said.
"Either the pilot was given wrong information or the pilot acted incorrectly, the cockpit staff acted incorrectly, or the most likely event was there was something out there."