PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Dubai
Thread: Dubai
View Single Post
Old 9th Mar 2004, 18:36
  #14 (permalink)  
Father Jack
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: wherever I lay my hat...
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
What actually happened!

Some corrections first.

Flight was overflying East to West, and announced intention to ACC to divert due medical emergency.

At the airport, preparations for Low Visibility Operations had commenced, with all safeguards completed, however cloud was hovering just above the 300' cloudbase required to start actual LVOs.

Consideration was given to straight in 30, however due to construction of road tunnel east of the airport associated with airport expansion, no landings available on 30R which is the approved CAT II runway.

Runway 30L considered not a guaranteed option due to the imminent onset of LVOs.

Traffic positioned for 12, and again serious consideration given to 12R as closer to terminal, however as above with the weather conditions worsening, it was decided that the 380m additional taxi was preferable to a missed approach due weather, therefore aircraft positioned 12L, where a successful landing was carried out.

Within minutes of the aircraft landing, cloud base dropped airport into full LVO precedures. Some may argue that the ATCOs should have had a stab at one of the other runways, however I feel they made a balanced decision to reduce the risk of a go around and guarantee a landing.

If they had of taken the known risk, and it went wrong, then this would be an entirely diffierent thread.

There was no misunderstanding of the seriousness of the situation, and the ATC crew involved worked hard through all the available options to bring the event to a successful conclusion.

I am pleased to hear from Carolosm that the passenger's life was saved.


(edited for typos)
Father Jack is offline