Thank you Spitoon again about your clear explanation. Are you an ATCer or you have a specific office wich deals in ATC arguments?
So if we want to have a summary of all considerations, we can say that to follow ICAO rules depends on single country policy. In case of land after we don't have a general reference in ICAO documents, but only the chapter 7.11 PANS-ATM about RRSM. Actually the conditions to apply land after and RRSM are different beacause of an amendment of march 2005. So now there is the legal matter of right application of this procedure. You said: "
I can't see any real reason for not following the current procedures except that some aspects are more limiting than the old procedures. Perhaps some runways are not long enough to make it practical to use the new criteria but then one might ask whether it's a good idea anyway." As an ATCer which gives an instruction to land after, even if on pilot responsability, I worry about
all situations to be considered when a reduction in separation is going on. In fact ICAO suggests to pay attention also to visibility, to tailwind, to category of acft involved, etc..etc..and I don't think is a good idea to not consider all of them, because not consistent with our local or national manuals. And my doubt is not only about right application of a procedure under ATC point of view, but also under legal point of view, in case of a snag. Because we know, we ATCer are above all safety guardians...
In Italy, for example, even if rules for "Visual Approach" are clear and like for land after, you relieve responsabiliy for separation to pilot, due to an accident happened about 7 years ago near Cagliari, when pilot of an ambulance flight was cleared for a visual approach, all ATCer involved have been sentenced to some years of prison and to pay compensation for damages. This sentence was expressed by Judge on ATCers responsability to not avoid in
all ways the collision with the mountain (it was during nighthours). Consequence of this sentence, now Visual Approach in Italy is forbidden....
