Surely this is what we as pilots get paid for: making the real decisions in the real world.
Let me give you another recent example which works the other way (maybe): AS 355 doors caption. For those who do not know the Squiggle, a bit of background. There are 3 baggage doors that are behind the cabin and not visible from it. The consequences of these doors coming open in flight could be serious - they could even come off and hit a rotor blade or two, or even a third party walking his dog. However, the history of these doors and the associated captions (in my experience) is that they are for ever causing false indications. Some individual aircraft seem particularly prone.
No one , not the Belgrano or the manufacturer seems to do much about what is IMHO a poor engineering system; it is just accepted as "one of those things". This is not the only example of that attitude in this game of ours, but that is another story.
Anyway, there I was fat, dumb and happy operating fairly low-level over a big built-up area at night when the DOORS light comes on. I happen to be operating over a park, but it is cluttered with obstacles including my least favourite : wires. The AFM more or less says, and our FRCs DO say "land as soon as possible". In the interpretation of some, this says land in the park. However, I decided to land at a closed but known helipad site a few miles away, which was free of obstacles, following a slow speed transit to reduce the chances of any door
a)opening; and
b) coming off
No problem: well-placed "kick" to the door and "all is well".
I think I was managing the risk sensibly. (When I vary from procedures defined by manufacturer or operator I always try to rehearse my testimony to the "board of inquiry" as to why I did, as part of my decision-making).
If faced with TC's issue, I would land as soon as possible (rather than what the AFM says), so long as the risks of landing were not great. I also agree with TC that it does not make sense to me that TR chip is land as soon as practicable.
[You should note that the AS355 AFM says "continue the flight - avoid prolonged hover flights" - not EVEN a "land as soon as practicable" - this seems MAD to me. The cost of land as soon as practicable is negligible (usually)]
But, in the end it all depends on the situation, which is why they have pilots.............
Reviewing what others have said, I think that B Sousa may have it about right - make your own decision, in the light of the circumstances .
Last edited by Helinut; 6th October 2004 at 20:48.