Originally Posted by
Hudson Bay
highflyin
You don't need hind sight to know that taking up an orbit on final is bang out of order. This sector was a public transport flight in a heavy turbo prop aircraft with passengers on board. It was NOT a Cessna 150 on a Sunday afternoon jolly. Many CFIT accidents are due to non standard ops the most recent being a 737 taking up an orbit on final at Bristol. Another idiot in command. A standard go around was required nothing else.
Hind sight is good and we can learn a lot from it but certain incidents are unforgivable. This is one of them and it scares me that it could of been me sitting in the cabin with a sub standard crew that are oblivious to dangerous manoeuvres such as this.
Um, as I read Snig's posting about it no-one was "taking up an orbit" on final approach. They actually (allegedly) conducted a rather unorthadox circling approach - a procedure which is an approved method for aligning any aircraft, from a C150 to a 747, with a runway that has no instrument approach. Whilst it is certainly a demanding procedure (especially when IMC
) it is not a dangerous one.
I must have missed the "recent" headlines about a 737 hitting a hill on final at Bristol!