gazumped
About gazumped Licence Type (eg CPL. Pilots only)atplCurrent a/c Type (eg B737. Pilots only)b737Biographybrisbane dj pilotLocationbrisbaneInterestsfishingOccupationpilotOkay gazumped, you're a CA and not an FO with Dj's, that's even worse!
I believe gazumped is trolling on this episode. It appears the QF crew needed to have a 30 min pow-wow to come to a decision, then implement it and 30 mins later review it! Oops sorry, ran out of fuel. It would appear bleedingly obvious that the viz was HIGHLY likely to deteriorate, waiting longer would have made the job so much bloody harder.
If those crew had sat up there jaw boning the argument would be "why didn't they get on with the job of getting on the ground as quick as reasonably possible." To me it appears there was little to do in the decision making process other than work out how they were going to get the a/c on the ground.
gazumped, consider this possible scenario: A/C1 (most fuel critical) does the first app and GA, A/C2 follows up with same result, vis closes right down to say 200-300m with zero ceiling, now A/C1 comes around for the 2nd app and GA and now down to less than 1t and must land or it will be a real sphincter clencher GA, in the poor viz the A/C ends up disabled on the rwy due to collapsed gear and the rwy is now blocked and unusable. What is the outcome for A/C2?
If the viz had closed in faster one may have ended up in very deep manure. Risk assessment, what is likely to produce the worst outcome, breaking the minima on an rnav/gps equiped a/c while being able to maintain reasonable viz or leaving it until you declare a fuel emerg and doing an app in close to zero viz. I think the crew took the right course of action, I'm also sure if the QF CA didn't brief the CC he wished he did.
By the way, gazumped as far I'm aware all rnav apps are directly aligned with the rwy, if not the app plate will show it, so why do you need to "find" it?