Is this a bit late for gear selection

[JammedStab]

Or does it just look that way due to the camera being zoomed in.

DUDE, WHERE'S YOUR GEAR?! FedEx MD-10-10F N559FE - gear-up on KORD approach into RWY 28 [10.20.2012] - YouTube

[Bumps]

No, it was a indeed late gear deployment and the pilots got :mad: from the chief pilots office and I would imagine were sent back to re-training.

[flyboyike]

FOQA event.

[DaveReidUK]

Or does it just look that way due to the camera being zoomed in.The camera zoom is neither here nor there.

Assuming that the video hasn't been speeded up or slowed down, the elapsed time between the gear being lowered and crossing the threshold will give a pretty good indication as to how late (or not) gear was selected.

[Yankee Whisky]

Looks like an afterthought when someone happens upon three red lights on the panel ? Or was it a radio altimeter triggered warning waking them up ?

Seems that this could have lead to a very tricky overshoot if the gear had not shown three greens ! :)

[Two's in]

It's about 27 seconds from gear down and locked to touchdown, so that was about a mile out.

[High Energy]

An old video but cool nevertheless. I know about the visual perception being different due to camera zoom/angle but you can still time it till touchdown. With a few assumptions I was guessing 'locked down' at around 450 feet.

[Airbubba]

FOQA event.

A few years ago when the emphasis was on 'fuel efficient approaches' this space shuttle type of late configuration was not uncommon.

However, in the U.S. the recent emphasis has been on stable approach criteria with many carriers now demanding that the plane be fully configured, on speed, on glide path with the power up at 1000 feet AGL even in VFR conditions. If not able, you go around without penalty. At least that is the theory.

Supposedly, if you land out of an unstable approach and the feds find out, you will have some explaining to do (and possibly get extra training to help avoid certificate action). You might be able to fill out an ASAP report for CYA but that might not cover you if the feds decide your deviation from stable approach requirements was 'willful'.

The FOQA data can never be used for disciplinary purposes in the same sense that admission to the HIMS program is strictly voluntary. :cool:

I've never flown the big Mad Dog but I'm told it is definitely not a plane where you want to try to salvage an unstable approach. I think FedEx has already demoed this claim with several hull losses and lesser incidents.

This video was from last year according to the date on the title. Does FedEx have stable at 1000? Or is it still 500 feet in VMC?