Latest is that the a/c veered off centreline and wing struck something..ILS antenna?They then tried to get airborne again but they had a tail strike..speed below unstick, confirming that they were already well into deceleration and HAD ACTIVATED TR's(fair assumption-they landed long by all accounts and PF would have been anxious to get reversers asap).
ALso lot of talk on NDTV about Mangalore not complying with ICAO guidelines for tabletop airports...runoff was only 90m apparently before the ravine.HAvent been to this airport so cannnot confirm.
If you read between the lines and tread carefully you might reasonably come up with...a/c landed long at F40 and autobrake 2,perhaps 3.Pilot realises AB setting is insufficient and goes for manual braking...tire burst causes the veer and a/c hits antenna.With speed below unstick and perhaps at least one main gear off the concrete the attempt at a rwy GA is doomed.TR's must be assumed to have been activated..but immediately cancelled after controllability problem and forward GA thrust applied(asymmetrical spool-up further aggravates controllability).
I do know that SWA had their AB system de-activated at one point because they wanted the pilots to "feel" the aircraft under their toes.I also know that AB usage is mandated by SOP worldwide,esp ASia.In fact,full use of automation in everything is standard SOP throughout Asia.I have flown with pilots who have never felt the aircraft under their toes during landing.Some with 3000-4000 hours..all those hours and theyve never braked the damn thing themselves.Initial application is key..the point is not to "jump" on the pedals but ease into it initially and then go for max if needed.If youve never done it,you wont know will you?I never use AB myself except during strong x-wind ops.SOP's are clearly wrong here.Pilots must master manual braking first before relying on automatic.Your first attempt at a max manual stop should not be in a situation when you need it most.Line pilots can hone their skills in a semi-max manual stop on a long runway with light gross weights and low OAT..in this way theyre prepared for when they will really need the technique.If you're flat-footed about it and initial application is asymetrical and/or brutal,you'll wind up in trouble.I dont know if the tire burst was due to the tire itself or incorrect technique but I suspect a combination of the two.
Another misnomer here is the co-pilot had 66 landings at the airport..did he?Apparently the airline involved has this dreaded assisted TO and Landing SOP plus the airport is Captains only landing.So he didnt have 66 landings at Mangalore at all.8000' of concrete(even if tabletop) and outside monsoon season is no reason to restrict to Captains only.If in monsoon season,Id agree yes.
Expat vs local argument..any pilot can screw up.End of story.Nobody is infallible.Lets keep race out of this.No,the real culprit here is SOP vs Airmanship.This battle between the two permeates almost every crash.I firmly believe that.Recovery from hot/high and manual braking technique are examples of where airmanship and SOP's diverge.SOP's outlaw both but theyre both vital aspects of airmanship.Yes,a GA before touchdown(SOP) would have averted disaster here but what if you're low on fuel and your alternate is closing in.SOP is dogmatic.Airmanship is a pilots ability to adapt to the real world.