Quote: 'I suspect the captain of AAL 2 sensed a "Long Island Tour" because of the heading assignment when a short circuit downwind, base, and final, in visual weather conditions, would have complied with the declared pilot's (read priority aircraft at this point) plan.'
Aterpster,
You are most certainly correct that he sensed a Long Island Tour BUT this is exactly one of the reasons why i posted earlier the gross lack of CRM from the Captain.(Poor RT is part of it).
He ASSUMED and did not COMMUNICATE his worries which lead to a dangerous decision.(and lets not start talking about the possibility of a dangerously low fuel level as if that were the case ,i hope he would have elected to land on 22L even if the winds were a tad stronger than his sops).
ATC did react to his distress cancelling the initial approach clearance(Poor RT by ATC there,should have said some like,clearance cancelled,maintain runway heading,vectors 31L) by instructing the crew to maintain runway heading,(rather than telling to continue approach)this is a radar vector which should have alerted the crew that a contingency plan was in progress...
The captain did a one man show obviously.
