PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Citation 750 down in Egelsbach.
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Old 6th Mar 2012, 23:08
  #97 (permalink)  
Flaymy
 
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I hope hawker750 is wrong. Hard cases make bad laws, and this was not a case to be generalised to "private ops". It sounds like a very unfortunate case of an owner/pilot who did not have a good attitude intersecting with Frankfurt's lack of good options.

Having said that, it does show how an AOC operation or a well-run private/corporate operation adhering to a well-written operations manual, with good oversight from strong, accountable management willing to say "no" to owners does give a massive safety advantage - and I don't think many AOC operators or good private ops would have sent a jet into EDFE in those conditions, let alone a Citation X.

Isn't landing factor 1.43 (only able to use 70% of available runway)? So if unfactored LDR is over 1000m a C750 could not have gone in public-transport even using the full 1400m runway length. However there are other factors in play here. Operations Manuals for AOC operators (and I presume reputable private ops) should have strict criteria for cancellation of IFR, and for descent below MSA when not on a published instrument approach.

With no instrument approach Egelsbach is also a cat B airport even for types able to operate full weight from the runway. That brings in a a briefing for the crew, and probably criteria decided on in the cold light of day by someone who knows he could be in court if the worst happens, having signed Form 4 to take responsibility for every flight.

Criteria for approach will vary from operator to operator it is true, but restrictions can be put in place such as weather minima and specific visual reference requirements tighter than usual ops manual criteria if the operator feels Egelsbach is especially difficult, which having been there in a Seneca I can assure you it would be for a jet. Equally importantly the briefing can be reviewed in light of awful accidents like this one; ours certainly is being.

Let us recognise what can be done to make operations into airports like EDFE safer. That is only possible if we look at best practice and acknowledge it, and in this case I would argue it starts with factors that would be required in an AOC operation but are not mandatory for others. However it is also in factors that are inherent to charter flights but not to many private flights, especially this one - in a charter the crew answer to company, not to the passenger.
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