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Old 17th Aug 2013, 03:33
  #278 (permalink)  
olasek
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
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If the FAA made any mistake in the design of the final segment of the two Runway 18 approaches and/or the alignment of the PAPI, it will come out in the NTSB's report.
Again you are harping at this point ad nauseam already ...
This approach brings you to 1200 ft about 1 mile from the runway (in the worst weather), then you transition to your regular VFR flying. PAPI lights should by then be fully visible and as long you don't loose them or make sure at least on of them remain white you should be OK. Nobody can guarantee you terrain clearance when all lights turn red. If you count on a "mistake" in the design of this approach - I think you will be grossly disappointed. So yes, wait for NTSB report but the odds that NTSB will find fault with the approach itself are miniscule, it would be first in like 50 years. This approach had plenty of safety buffer that could have been flown by a competent crew in a partially disabled aircraft (say with one engine inop).

Fortunately, the FAA doesn't design the critical final approach segment using Google Ear
Valid point, and they actually thoroughly flight-test every approach (not using armchair pilot playing Microsoft Flight Simulator) instead of sitting in an armchair with a calculator doing some trigonometry...

Last edited by olasek; 17th Aug 2013 at 04:09.
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