Originally Posted by
Daysleeper
Ever been radar vectored into a hillside...given a confusing clearance, had a misprinted chart.
Yes - and maintaining crew situational awareness has mitigated the risks to an acceptable degree. I would be quite happy to return to the VC10 and fly the aeroplane as it stands.
GPWS, like so many other pieces of kit on an aeroplane, is there in part to enhance safety and in part to covers the @rses of aircrew who are not doing their job properly.
It will help to make an operation more safe but its absence does not necessarily make the operation UNsafe.
Originally Posted by pma32dd
Then there was the VC10 that flew a simulated 2 eng approach at Brize and the crew forgot the gear....only a well observed call from ATC prvented a wheels up - GPWS wouldve stopped it. Not forgetting that ac was flown by Trg Flt staff.
OK, a close call perhaps - although I've never heard of that incident before - but maybe also one that makes the point that "Management" or "Training" staff crews are the ones most likely to screw it up (remember the 8 Sqn Shackelton crash in 1990 and the 216 "broken spar" incident c1985?). I'm not complacent - I recognise that GPWS, TCAS etc. have a benefit but their absence does not make an aeroplane unsafe to fly. 80% of civil airliner accidents are caused by people and quite often because they ignore GPWS (Flying Tigers 747F in Kuala Lumpur) or TCAS (Tu154 that hit the DHL 757). The Flying Tigers crew were flying an NDB approach without the plates in front of them, descending to 400' when cleared to 2400' QNH and ignored GPWS instructions for almost 30 secs. There were numerous opportunities there for a more professional approach to operations to have saved their lives.