I come back to an earlier posting (#495) where i suggested, that a "Pull-Up" procedure might save the day.
We have a rejected landing with a technique, a bounced landing with a technique, we might have a low level wind-shear with a technique and a threatening rapid loss of altitude at low level with a technique.
What do they have in common, what is their greatest threat?
- > Yes, an impending heavy ground contact/crash.
What would you do if a ground impact is looming?
- > Yes, a "Pull-Up" escape manoeuvre would probably be appropriate.
The perfidious thing here is, that a warning that would lead to such a manoeuvre is inhibited at this stage!
As we can read on these pages, there is much debate about when is what inhibited or when can what be engaged......
Simply imagine the average John Doe, with the average actual training and the average thin booklets we are given, and paint your own picture of how fast and accurately he can assess which of the above hazards he has actually encountered and which manoeuvre he should apply. All this during his initial stunning moments when rapid action is crucial.
I guess all Monday morning quarterbacks, especially the ones who have themselves never touched a -300) would pretend that this is easy, just know your aircraft and blah, blah ...
I come back to my suggestion:
For such situations, so close to ground, with that much drag and at a certain stage with very low power, I strongly suggest that recommending ONE simple manoeuvre, that might not be the most elegant, but the one with the best chances to get out of impending trouble, could be the "Pull-Up" procedure, even without GPWS warning. At least it would leave no doubt and take you out of automation doubt.
Once out of trouble, have your PM switch on the AT, engage TOGA and then continue as per normal GA procedure.
(let me speculate on this accident, you might shoot me down: I guess the pilots went the other way around: First a normal GA with gear up, then when it turned ugly, went for a W/S escape procedure. It didn't work. Maybe the other way around, with pull-up first and GA after, it might have.)