Originally Posted by
BOAC
I have not said "a tailwind of >10 knots was too strong for a safe landing." - I have said that 10 is the 'normal' limit. I do not know if this company had a 15. Your post implied that it was a 'done' that crews would ignore limits to get the job done. That is not unknown territory to me in military life, but it is potentially dangerous - it will work a lot of the time. Not all, and when someone pays to be safely carried one needs to think carefully before doing it and be prepared for the consequences. Aviation history is littered with bold aviators, not so many old.
Regardless of what the max tailwind allowed may be, you must also consider the landing performance was on that day for the landing weight they had.
I don't know the usual landing distance for a 737, but 6,500 feet of gravel with a tailwind doesn't seem like a whole lot.
Was Jet A available in CYRB? Were they tankering fuel?
Were there any aircraft systems unserviceable that day?
Thrust reverse?
Anti-skid?
Spoilers?
All these factors could have contributed to a decision to circle for 17T.
It has been reported that 10 minutes elapsed from they time they reported "3 miles final for 35T" until they hit the hill. That implies either circling or multiple approaches to me.