Southwest Captain Reduced Power Before NYC Crash Landing

[AirRabbit]

Arriving a bit "late to the party,” but...

I’ll offer just a couple of opinionated observations, anyway…

It could easily be that the reason the RoD increased without any control column movement is that the throttles were reduced. The factors that makes up an understanding of airplane landings includes both the airspeed (based on 1.3Vs increased by any wind/gust factor), where the 30% increase in this speed is gradually reduced to “zero” by reaching the threshold, while maintaining the other adjustments); power reduction may be started as early as threshold crossing but should be started no later than initiation of the flare, and should be at idle no later than main gear touchdown. Also, the pilot flying should be acutely aware that as elevator back pressure will be required to achieve level flight attitude at the end of the flare (the airplane should be landed in this “level flight attitude”), as the power is reduced, an increase in that back pressure will be necessary, BUT only to the point that keeps the nose from moving downward – to keep that level flight attitude. If that back pressure is not applied, the nose WILL begin to move downward – and depending on where this starts, the airspeed could easily begin to increase.

I haven’t examined the FDR to ferret out the specifics of pitch, elevator position, and airspeeds at appropriate points just prior to the touchdown – but I would suspect that some violation of these precepts, as outlined above, could be found in explanation of what occurred. Also, anytime physical control of the airplane is accomplished in this very “intense” portion of the approach/landing – just prior to initiating the flare through the actual touchdown – there is an increased likelihood of the pilot assuming control not being able to pick up – correct, if or where necessary – and then maintain the proper level flight attitude, through the remainder of the power reduction (if necessary), maintaining the level flight attitude, and maintaining a center-line ground track (not to mention any crosswind correction if or where required).

I suspect that the VASI and the glide slope indication not being exactly aligned is not peculiar to the LGA airport – after all … observation of Red/White lights is not expected to be anywhere near as precise as the electronic indication of the transmitted glide slope – and I would suspect that there aren’t many pilots who devote much, if any, specific attention to the VASI light indications, particularly after crossing the threshold.

As for the apparent absence of flight control inputs for the last couple of seconds prior to “touchdown” (using the term generically), and according to a cursory look at the FDR, it looks like something on the order of 2-4 seconds, and both pilots were very likely focused on what they saw developing with an abnormally low nose position that close to the runway - focusing on what was about to happen, rather than what to do to effect it.