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Old 14th December 2011 | 05:36
  #666 (permalink)  
bubbers44
 
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,525
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From: fl
SJO was a 15 knot tailwind airport because with the rising terrain to the east it was difficult to circle to land to the west with the ceiling around 1,000 ft. One of my last landings there in a 757 we landed with a 15 knot tailwind uphill at 3,000 ft msl because circling was not practical with the ceiling that day. Of course the landing was uneventful but returning to MIA at sea level the runway is 13,000 ft long and we are restricted to a 10 knot tailwind. We had a huge storm coming in from the west that was going to close the airport so we landed with a 15 knot tailwind to the east. Yes, we were illegal and we knew it but we would have ended up in Orlando if we had reconfigured for an approach to the west. I think we did the safest illegal procedure to avoid doing something that made no sense. Some exemptions to our 10 knot tailwind rule are strictly for convenience, not safety.
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