Originally Posted by
FlyingStone
ICAO Doc. 8168, Vol. 1, Chapter 3.2:
Admitted, the ICAO document uses the phrase "shall" in chapter 3.2
But it also has the following "disclaimer" to the wording in said chapter:
"3.1.2 Nothing in the procedures specified in 3.2, “Use of ACAS indicators”, shall prevent pilots-in-command from exercising their best judgement and full authority in the choice of the best course of action to resolve a traffic conflict or avert a potential collision."
In other words, the pilot in command can use his judgement (common sense) to resolve any issue.
Same goes for the pilot of the Emirates 777. Obviously it would have helped to know how the TOGA switch works, but using good judgement and landing a bit long on a looooong runway, instead of following the SOP blindly, might have put him in a more favorable situation.
Here is a TCAS story from real life. There I was....
Flying a Close Air Support training mission as a singleton, in Class E airspace, in an area that was notamed "Increased Military Flying Activity", I was orbiting in a right hand 5nm wheel around the practice target at FL125 with 450KTS.
Only other traffic in the vicinity is a 737 on the same frequency on its way to a nearby airfield 40nm away. The controller calls him out when he is 30nm away. I see him on the surveillance picture, my interrogator shows him, and when within the search volume of the FCR I see him on the radarscope. I acquire him visually at 12-15nm and call it out to the controller.
The 737 pilot gets the traffic call as well. His replay is that he has me on TCAS, and at 10 miles or so he also calls visual the F-16, no conflict.
If I continue my turn and if he continues with his present heading and altitude there will be no conflict and I will pass him on his left side (with my left side) at a range of 3-4nm.
Then, as my vector crosses his vector during my turn, I see him starting to maneuver and hear him call RA to the controller. I am puzzled and so is the controller who asks him "didn't you say you were visual, no conflict?".
Afterwards I got words, that during his "by the book" reaction, he managed to injure one of his flight attendants who was not strapped in and scare the living crap out of his passangers.
How would any of you TCAS users have reacted in the same situation? Remember, only 2 aircraft within miles (you and the F-16), both visual, the F-16 flying VFR, you flying IFR in VMC conditions.
framer and MikeHotel152,
That was my take at being sarcastic. Apparently your sense of humor is different from mine. You can not compare flying fighters with flying jetliners. Both things have different challenges and different procedures. One thing that is the same though is the requirement for all pilots to exhibit good airmanship, common sense and judgement. Because sometimes pilots will face situations that are not described in the manuals and where following regulations blindly (be it SOP's, government or international regulations) is not the safest and best course of action. I know plenty of civilian and military pilots who exhibits good airmanship, common sense and good judgement, and most of them, my self included, have learned valuable lessons from situations where one or all three things could have been better.
Thats it for me, I will knock this discussion off and return to homeplate. SeeYa
Edit: Sidestick_n_Rudder beat me to it