Apart from the fact that these reports have found their way into the public domain, the most worrying bit I read was about the Kathmandu approach. 800ft at 1nm and disregarding bank angle and sink rate warnings. 10s downwind timing on a circle sounds a bit tight.
Hi Kind of a bad approach in KTM yesterday. It started out by ATC wanting us to do a VOR to rwy 02. Wind was reported 190/17 kts. We can only do 10 kts tail wind in ktm. We asked for a circling, but with the option to land on RWY 02 when we came down to minima and the wind was below 10 kts. On final KTM wanted us to circle to the right of the rwy, we several times told them that we can only do circling to the left of the rwy. So busy on the radio, coming down the path. We did turn left at KTM 2 miles, hdg 337 for 20 sec, then hdg 022, abm the threshold timing was done at 10 sec (not 15, due to tailwind), we had to stay within the 4 nm circle of KTM. I started descend, disconnected AP/AT and continued descend. We had one bank angle and 2 sink rate aural warnings. We were fully VMC so I continued. The approach leaves you 3 times high than a normal 3deg. ILS app. At one mile from the rwy on the circling app you are at 800 somthing feet, on a normal ILS you would be at 300 feet. On the VOR to 02 KTM we do get glideslope warning the last 2.5 nm if we increase our rate of descent, and thats normal in KTM. Now I could see that we where high, but was not expecting to have that steep angle to the rwy. So rate of descent was high, and triggered the aural sink rate twice. I don’t see how that app can be flown without getting the warning or at least close to getting it. Its steep, its close to the mountains, and its an approach I have only done once in the sim 4-5 years ago. I was not comfortable doing it. A sink rate warning can be disregarded if you are VMC and comfortable to continue, but we did get it close 300 feet also. This really bugs me, either is was late starting my descent, we where to close or something else. We should probably have done a go around, but that would have ended up in a diversion and a layover somewhere. (I know thats not an excuse, but its still in your mind somewhere when making your split second decision) Its a complex situation and you know you will get yelled at from the company if that would be the case. I would like your response to the incident and your thoughts on that app, am I the only one with this view or has other people raised their concern etc. Next time the offer a circling to RWY 20 I will probably decline, and rather diverte. Its not worth it..