How do you land in the "nearest suitable runway:?

[WhySoTough]

Just out of curiosity, if you had an emergency and warning "land asap", what exactly do you do?

I know you have to "land as soon as possible", but firstly, what is considered a "suitable" runway.
Also, do you just click on the airports push button and see the nearest airports close to you, pick one and land?
If it were to happen, you obviously don't have time to look for the approach plate, get the ATIS, yada yada. What now?

Can you used auto pilot or do you just get vectored and raw data ILS approach to land?

Thanks!

[hetfield]

Have fun with MS flightsim:D

[Nick 1]

You 'll do exactly the same of other airplane , you'll pick-up an airfield "suitable" with the nature of your emergency , regarding meteo,minima,runway lenght etc.

[3 Point]

That's when you really start to earn your pay!

You do have to make time to "look for the approach plate, get the ATIS, yada yada". You can expect more or less help from ATC depending where in the world you are when it happens.

Basically, a suitable runway means long enough with usable approach facilities appropriate to the prevailing weather (so potentially no approach facilities in CAVOK). There is a lot to do in this situation and you really need to make efficient use of both crew members and any other available assets (Company Ops, ATC etc). You may or may not consider passenger convenience, commercial factors, availability of engineering support to get back out again, airport opening hours etc etc as circumstances dictate.

Happy landings!

[babotika]

you obviously don't have time to look for the approach plate, get the ATIS, yada yada. What now?

Ask ATC.

I can't really think of any plausible scenario where I wouldn't have time to get the charts out of the book though, unless they were on fire. I would never ever fly an approach in IMC without having the suitable charts available, it's suicide.

[ChristiaanJ]

Might I also suggest picking a runway you can land on?

A runway to land in, (scattering bits and pieces in the process), does not seem to be the best idea.....

I don't think the Hudson qualified as the "nearest suitable runway".... even if it was the best choice in the circumstances.

[misd-agin]

babotika - Never, ever? If circumstances require it I would.

Especially an ILS. Frequency, course, and off you go IF it's safer than not doing it.

[Big Pistons Forever]

Close, long, available ILS in that order.

[aviatorhi]

fly an approach in IMC without having the suitable charts available, it's suicide.

:eek:

Didn't know I was dead.

In fact I'll take it even one farther... I'll knowingly take off without 'approach charts' on board for the approach I intend on doing at the destination when weather is at minimums.

[I-2021]

Just out of curiosity, if you had an emergency and warning "land asap", what exactly do you do?

Hi,

the only answer to your question, in my opinion, is : it depends. It depends on the nature of your problem and therefore how much time do you have, it depends on the environment, it depends on weather conditions, on your airplane status (ldg distance procedure), on particular notams (closure of a portion of the runway somewhere, no ILS, etc..), on your personal preferences (flying 5 minutes more and landing is some places where you have flown hundreds of approaches ?), on commercial benefits for your company (putting the airplane on a military runway in the middle of nowhere?), on airport RFF, etc.. so basically a bunch of items to consider before deciding that you want to go somewhere. If you have time because you are not burning and your engines are working and you have still some fuel, use that time to consider all the aspects that you can think of.

If it were to happen, you obviously don't have time to look for the approach plate, get the ATIS, yada yada. What now?

Again here it depends. What problem do you have ? How much time do you have before you need to be on the ground ? 1 min ? 10 min ? More ? Use your time, don't rush it more than needed.

Also, do you just click on the airports push button and see the nearest airports close to you, pick one and land?

The closest airport function is a very good tool, but if that was the only button to press to decide a diversion, crews would be paid much less I guess :8

[WhySoTough]

I-2021,

Thanks for the response.
Other than that, and using your airway charts to find close airports, what other options do you have to find closest airports?

[aviatorhi]

I'll give a reply that's more on topic as well, let's go with the following scenario:

Say you're over the Pacific and need to land at the nearest suitable airport...

You push whatever set of keys your particular FMS/GPS/Whatever needs pushed to display the nearest airports and the following comes up...

PLPA
PLCH
PCIS
PHKO
PHNL

The first three being about 300-500 nm away the latter two being about 1000.

Outside of being on fire, not having enough fuel or the airplane literally wanting to fall out of the sky I would steer well away from the first three.

Going into PLPA or PCIS will ground the airplane there for, probably, at least a few months (it's literally that hard to get fuel out there). Neither are typically used as "ETOPS suitable airports" (for many reasons), but will show up when pushing the nearest button.

PLCH... if you're flying pax, this is by and far one of the last places I'd want to show up with 150 unplanned guests.

Oh, and if you've never been to PLPA you'll easily have more bird strikes in one day than most pilots have in a career.

All this being said, I agree with I-2021, "it depends".

[captjns]

Where can I get a proper G & T, grub, and hotel with Internet.

Long runway with hospitals close by with proper triage is necessary

Passenger conveniences such as food, hotels and alternate forms of transport.

One reason I keep my charts open with my route flight in view as well as tuning my NAVSTAR.

[Lord Spandex Masher]

Sometimes we even look out of the windows. I know!

If I see a :mad: massive runway I couldn't care less what it's called, where it is, or even if it's open, or indeed complete. If it all goes quiet I'm landing there and you can sod your nearest airport button because that doesn't always list ALL runways.

If you don't know where you are and where you can go at all times then you don't deserve to be sitting in a flight deck.

[Slasher]

if you had an emergency and warning "land asap",

It all really depends where you're at when it happens, what's
around you where you're at and the nature of the emergency.
"Land asap" in Scarebuspeak doesn't necessarily mean you'll
be landing on a runway - if in the situation of an uncontrolled
cabin/cargo fire (for example) I'll just put the bloody down on
the nearest beach or sizeable bit of clear dirt if I'm not on top
of a runway or within safe earshot of one.

[MrHorgy]

If I see a massive runway I couldn't care less what it's called, where it is, or even if it's open, or indeed complete. If it all goes quiet I'm landing there and you can sod your nearest airport button because that doesn't always list ALL runways.

Indeed, look at the Gimli Glider. Never underestimate local knowledge - North Weald isn't on any of our FMS out of STansted by I know if we had a double engine failure off 22 where i'd like to be heading - 1920m unlicensed, but you'd easily do it

Horgy

[latetonite]

Google "suitable".