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PIA A320 Crash Karachi

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PIA A320 Crash Karachi

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Old 8th Jun 2020, 14:19
  #1121 (permalink)  

Only half a speed-brake
 
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Originally Posted by jmmoric
There is a spool-up time on jet engines and a certain inertia of everything weighing something, at least according to Newton.... and since we all, with no exception, abide by his laws, there is a chance the missed appraoch was commanded before the scraping?
That is a possible sequence of events. Chop the thrust, float due to the high speed. Bring the A/C down on the ground with TLs at idle, engines hit the ground, bounce. As the crippled craft is settling down for a second, full touch-down, set TOGA realizing what just happened. The thrust comes back rather quick, but inertia and drag refuse to give up. Kinetically, nothing changes for the next 10 seconds, hence the two more scrapes.
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Old 8th Jun 2020, 15:14
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Originally Posted by FlightDetent
That is a possible sequence of events. Chop the thrust, float due to the high speed. Bring the A/C down on the ground with TLs at idle, engines hit the ground, bounce. As the crippled craft is settling down for a second, full touch-down, set TOGA realizing what just happened. The thrust comes back rather quick, but inertia and drag refuse to give up. Kinetically, nothing changes for the next 10 seconds, hence the two more scrapes.
They were scraping at 194kts at least 50kts higher than normal. Flight path change is done by side stick not the thrust levers. Had they pulled up they would have been on their way without another touchdown.
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Old 8th Jun 2020, 15:24
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I find it inconceivable that anyone would attempt to "go" once the "touch" resulted in a loud scraping noise. There was no possible way to know what else would be going wrong after the scraping noise, followed by the "go."​​​​​​
That's very true. But it's perhaps action without thinking. The very fact they asked for another vector for ILS and not a circuit shows that they were oblivious of the possibility of engine damage.
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Old 8th Jun 2020, 15:34
  #1124 (permalink)  

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Originally Posted by vilas
They were scraping at 194kts at least 50kts higher than normal. Flight path change is done by side stick not the thrust levers. Had they pulled up they would have been on their way without another touchdown.
Although the response would be strongly dependent on the selected flap, or that reduced by on step for the G/A (thinking here 2 -> 1+F), it is a valid point 194 kt IAS is still plenty for the airfoils to perform as designed. Good insight.

Has it been established what flaps they had selected for the first approach? At least some, otherwise the overspeed clacker would not be there.
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Old 9th Jun 2020, 09:03
  #1125 (permalink)  
 
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Apologies if this has already been asked and answered but, in the approach profile which the crew seem actually have flown, at what point ought Gear Down to have been selected? And in what ways, if any, would that timing have been different to Gear Down in a more usual approach?

(BTW, I've changed my user name from AGBagb)

Last edited by Gary Brown; 9th Jun 2020 at 09:05. Reason: Left something out....
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Old 9th Jun 2020, 10:32
  #1126 (permalink)  

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The approach as flown would need to be abandoned approx 20 miles away from the field, gear up.

You are asking how much water can a broken cup hold.

If the gear was down and full speed brake out with no AP from 20 NM, the energy may have been controlled into a (barely) acceptable final approach entry gate: 9 NM / 3000 FT / 220 kt.

But that would be then a very different approach profile, with only about 1/2 kinetic energy this aircraft seem to have had.
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Old 9th Jun 2020, 12:45
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, in the approach profile which the crew seem actually have flown, at what point ought Gear Down to have been selected? And in what ways, if any, would that timing have been different to Gear Down in a more usual approach?
It's a mystery that with such excess height they landed gear up. If they had to do it for what ever reason then at any time at 20000ft or 10000ft when the crew realised they were very high and fast and still wanted to go for it(not desirable) the first thing should have been to level off, get speed brakes out and below 250 gear down. Then configure all the way to full flaps and descend at may be Vapp+20. Initially it will make you even higher but the closing in speed being is much lower and later the very high rate of descent they could have made it. With gear up no chance.
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Old 9th Jun 2020, 13:07
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Question Laptop FS

I asked this ages ago and am sure with the data we have seen, could work through a scenario on a PC/Laptop F Sim/emulator Type thing wether a profile, using different strategies of speed, configuration etc would have allowed them to get back on some profile and even hit the SAC at 500’.....🤔
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Old 9th Jun 2020, 13:18
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Originally Posted by Axel-Flo
I asked this ages ago and am sure with the data we have seen, could work through a scenario on a PC/Laptop F Sim/emulator Type thing wether a profile, using different strategies of speed, configuration etc would have allowed them to get back on some profile and even hit the SAC at 500’.....🤔
Yes maybe (but a real flight simulator would be a better tool for that because of it's more realistic flight model). But what does it matter? They chose to do it their way and it didn't work out.
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Old 9th Jun 2020, 13:41
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OOI

Just out of interest, in the same way as all the other WAG’s on this Rumour Network, would better CRM have saved the day, if they were Scientologist or seventh day Adventist’s or Buddhists instead of Muslims, a more confident FO, less company pressure on fuel savings, better flying training, more use of automation, less use of automation, titanium skids on the bottom of under wing engines, gearboxes place higher up on the engine, a warning horn being fitted to let you know you’re too fast or too slow, a different warning horn to let you know the “Dunlop’s ain’t dangling” and all the others. Just out of interest.....🤔😇
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Old 9th Jun 2020, 14:09
  #1131 (permalink)  
 
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Originally Posted by Axel-Flo
Just out of interest, in the same way as all the other WAG’s on this Rumour Network, would better CRM have saved the day, if they were Scientologist or seventh day Adventist’s or Buddhists instead of Muslims, a more confident FO, less company pressure on fuel savings, better flying training, more use of automation, less use of automation, titanium skids on the bottom of under wing engines, gearboxes place higher up on the engine, a warning horn being fitted to let you know you’re too fast or too slow, a different warning horn to let you know the “Dunlop’s ain’t dangling” and all the others. Just out of interest.....🤔😇
The crew appeared unusually adept at finding holes in the Swiss cheese and lining them up, so there are any number of possible answers. The topic of the following video has been alluded to already. (The mentioned waypoint MAKLI according to experts is on radial 075 degrees from KC VOR 112.1 at 14,9 NM from threshold 25L.)

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Old 9th Jun 2020, 14:13
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Basic stick and rudder flying is relatively easy
Isn't that the whole problem nowadays? It is not easy to some pilots.

For many, the very thought of having to resort to hand flying without the crutch of full automatic features, is anathema. When forced by circumstances to disengage the automatics then it is not long before they are in trouble in more ways than one. Their own lack of competency and the company on their backs like a ton of bricks..

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Old 9th Jun 2020, 16:09
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Originally Posted by sheppey

Isn't that the whole problem nowadays? It is not easy to some pilots.

For many, the very thought of having to resort to hand flying without the crutch of full automatic features, is anathema. When forced by circumstances to disengage the automatics then it is not long before they are in trouble in more ways than one. Their own lack of competency and the company on their backs like a ton of bricks..
It's an industry 'problem', not an individual or a generational deficiency as you so condescendingly put it.

I put problem in apostrophes because as an industry we are far safer now, despite vastly increased traffic and significantly decreased experience levels. The same reliance on automation and FBW that has degraded the manual skills has also contributed to the safety. Yes, we continue to see silly accidents like this one seems to be and AF447 etc, but on the whole we are far better off than we were before.

Last edited by zero/zero; 9th Jun 2020 at 16:21.
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Old 9th Jun 2020, 16:39
  #1134 (permalink)  
 
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Originally Posted by sheppey

Isn't that the whole problem nowadays? It is not easy to some pilots.

For many, the very thought of having to resort to hand flying without the crutch of full automatic features, is anathema. When forced by circumstances to disengage the automatics then it is not long before they are in trouble in more ways than one. Their own lack of competency and the company on their backs like a ton of bricks..
Save error or omission on my part I am unaware of any evidence that this crew either did, or did not, disengage the automatics. Unless you know otherwise the incident does not appear to be either a failure to 'hand-fly' or an over-dependence on systems but rather [predominant speculation] a gross and prolonged error of approach execution whether using the available aircraft systems or not.
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Old 9th Jun 2020, 17:23
  #1135 (permalink)  
 
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Automatics?

Yes but it’s not just about handling the aircraft raw (if on this baby bus you can still call any of it that) but there are, as has been hinted at many times, techniques which I’ve found are nowadays not taught either....but by manipulation of the automatics you can achieve way differing results. Spoiler/speed brakes, open descent, selected v managed speed, gear, VS with all the modes available even missing TOD there’s a whole box of tools there to get you back on profile and the passengers (unless you leave it way way too late won’t notice much difference) 😇
I’ve seen new FOs with no idea because nobody ever showed them in the sim or on subsequent line training what else they could use to correct a situation and more so were often prepared to argue vehemently and with huge authority, that to do some of these things was out and out wrong? 😇

Last edited by Axel-Flo; 9th Jun 2020 at 19:00.
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Old 10th Jun 2020, 02:29
  #1136 (permalink)  
 
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That's the plate for 25R. They were lined up for 25L. The DM altitudes work out to be about the same though.
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Old 10th Jun 2020, 05:52
  #1137 (permalink)  

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Originally Posted by Axel-Flo
.......missing TOD there’s a whole box of tools there to get you back on profile.....
This accident is so bizarre that a conclusion I am leaning towards is that there was an “abnormality of the mind” of the Captain and/or the FO.
There was simply substantial impairment of brain function.

I am hoping the AAIB are courageous enough to release full uncensored details to give insight into this wholly preventable tragic accident.
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Old 10th Jun 2020, 07:01
  #1138 (permalink)  
 
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I imagine the scenario is more a hard landing and bounce at such a high rate of descent, followed by go around and gear up command, then aircraft hits the runway again which explains the scrapes at 4500 and 5500 down the runway.

Can't imagine it happening any other way.
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Old 10th Jun 2020, 07:34
  #1139 (permalink)  
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I also was thinking exactly that , having seen a couple of times aircraft announcing go around on the R/T before the flare but still touching briefly the runway afterwards. (i.e witnessing tires smoke plumes..)
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Old 10th Jun 2020, 07:44
  #1140 (permalink)  
 
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There is no regulation that says a touchdown after the commencement of a go-around cannot occur.

Any go-around that occurs in the very late stages of an approach to land should be accompanied by an expectation that the aircraft could touchdown.
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