Emirates B777 gear collapse @ DXB?

[Bergerie1]

I never operated modern highly automated aircraft and thus am not qualified to comment on the way in which airline crews interact with these aircraft (my last aircraft was the 747-200). However:-

1. Everyone has cocked up a landing at one time or another, particularly in rapidly changing wind conditions on final approach and has had to go-around; even from touchdown. Every landing should be planned with the pilot remaining ready for a go-around right up until the point that reverse is selected.

2. They landed 1,100 mtrs deep and 10kts too fast on a 4,050 mtrs long runway. Even allowing for the displaced threshold, that leaves (at the worst) some 2500 mtrs of runway remaining. What is the landing distance required for a 777 at this landing weight? Was a go-around really necessary? I doubt it, but SOPs probably said yes.

3. The thrust levers were advanced 12 seconds after initiating the go-around. This is incredible - 12 seconds is an awfully long time to sit there with no power applied. Some have mentioned the startle effect but, if the pilot has planned the go-around as well as the landing as part of his normal mindset there should be no startle effect.

4. There is no doubt that a go-around can be initiated after touch down, and even if the auto-thrust did not activate. a mighty push on the thrust levers would have achieved the desired result. Therefore did the pilots think the auto-thrust system had applied go-around power when it hadn't? Did the handling pilot forget to push the TOGA button? Did he take his hands off the thrust levers? Is there some peculiar interaction between the weight switches and the auto-thrust system I do not know about? I think not.

5. But what I do know is that you only have to press the red buttons (auto-pilot and auto-thrust disconnect) and you have a perfectly normal aircraft to fly. It seems to me that too many pilots are forgetting this simple fact on highly automated aircraft.