PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Climb Gradients and Emergency Turn/Special Procedures
Old 25th January 2003 | 10:49
  #11 (permalink)  
Menen
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Flew for large European charter company once. The emergency turn specified in the company ops manual (B737-400) from a certain Greek island, required a turn through 90 degrees at runway end and a few seconds later you were over water. Flap retract was promulgated as 800 ft. No further info supplied so you assume you are safe. Problem was an island 10 miles dead ahead on emergency turn heading with spot height 1500ft.

The acceleration segment took you into the spot height. When questioned, the company performance engineers stated that the surveyed area stopped short of the island but was perfectly legal and that it was up to the captain to use airmanship to avoid the spot height.

Makes you wonder how many other take off obstacle charts leave the pilot in the lurch because the pilots are not advised of the length of the surveyed distance, and rely totally on the performance engineers to keep the aircraft safe. Often a case of misplaced trust. Of course it only matters if an engine stops after V1!