PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - SWA lands at wrong airport.
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Old 13th Jan 2014, 08:21
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Aluminium shuffler
 
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Amazing that so many comments have been made on those recordings that the landing was safe (and in the words of the Sheriff that there are no problems landing the aircraft there). It's anything but safe to land at the wrong airport.

Let's see all the responses flood in now about how good a job they did of landing on such a short field, rather than acknowledging how much blind luck they had that the field was just long enough, strong enough and that they didn't hit any other aircraft or close-in obstacles that they would not have expected to be in the way. I hope this begins to wake some of the US forum members up that it's not just the rest of the world that has pilots who lack basic skills or attitudes and also that a gung-ho "I can see it, shut everything off" approach (no pun intended) is foolhardy - I'm all for hand flying and practicing raw data or visual flying, but the PNF should at least have some navaids (map where available) and FD to make sure the practicing PF is not fouling it up. Automation aversion is every bit as dangerous as automation dependency.

On the plus side, I'm glad no harm has been done to anyone. I hope whoever flies it out gets suitably rewarded with a big risk bonus - even empty with just a thimble of fuel, that's an awfully short TORA.
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