Caribbean fleet changes.
 

How much is "not much hours"? How many hours is considered enough?
Is a "Veteran" someone who has been flying a long time, flying a long time in command, flying a long time on 737s or flying a long time in command of 737s?

'Is a "Veteran" someone who has been flying a long time, flying a long time in command, flying a long time on 737s or flying a long time in command of 737s?'

Isn't the answer yes to almost all of the above if he is a "Veteran":ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh:

Veteran.
 

Veteran could be in aviation a long time but new to the left seat or new to the type or new to the route if he was on another fleet or because of Sim training position has more desk time than plane time. Without going into detail I do not consider the individual to be a Veteran, that is not to say that he was incompetent.

Update??
 

Has there been any update on the probable cause of the accident??

Lots of speculation here...the terms "veteran" and "experience" are all relative terms....

Every CAL pilot would have been "GEO hardened" from his/her early days on the RHS....I seriously doubt LHS experience was a factor here.

Complacency/fatigue/training/SOPs perhaps.....now that's a whole different kettle of fish..

Update?
 

Well it doesn't really sound that complicated, from the reports already available, the crew apparently was landing in some pretty rough conditions, shortish runway, heavy rain, and I would assume a contaminated runway, add to that a long landing, recipe for disaster.

Rough conditions?
 

Not to be pedantic but the conditions were not exactly "pretty rough". No rain or wind at the time and visibility >5km. It's possible that your "long landing" could have been VERY long.

Rough conditions
 

I was reading the newspaper reports which quoted the captain about the heavy rain, there was also a comment about poor runway lighting which is not uncommon in places like this.

So, from what I read so far:

Possible contaminated runway, hydroplaning?

Runway not too long.

Poor vis due to rain showers.

Not so good field lighting.

Full aircraft with extra fuel for the tankering.

And how much rest did the crew have that day?

This is rough conditions to me.

Shedding some light on post by Dream Land
 

was reading the newspaper reports which quoted the captain about the heavy rain, there was also a comment about poor runway lighting which is not uncommon in places like this.

So, from what I read so far:

Possible contaminated runway, hydroplaning?

Runway not too long.

Poor vis due to rain showers.

Not so good field lighting.

Full aircraft with extra fuel for the tankering.

And how much rest did the crew have that day?

This is rough conditions to me.


I flew for CAL all last winter on the 800.

Contaminated runway hydroplaning? Possible, but not that likely,the runway is almost brand new, virtually no rubber in the touchdown zone, in excellent condition and it sheds water beautifully because it is crowned and grooved. I landed in possibly one of the worst rainshowers in my career on that runway, at night, same flight number even...most likely at the same weight as this AC and had excellent braking.

Runway not too long-7400 ft...read first paragraph and go to the B737-800 braking charts and see where you sit..shouldn't have been a problem

Poor visibility-rainshowers, the approach they were on is an RNAV/VNAV 06 that puts you where you need to be, when you need to be there if flown properly...things don't always go as planned as we all know

Not so good field lighting-It's a black hole approach over the jungle, RNAV/VNAV puts you right in the slot and there was a functioning..(when I was there)..VASIS system that was the correct eye to wheel height for the 800.

Full aircraft with tankered fuel-It's a 50 min flight..with tankered fuel for the return, alt, everything in, we only had about 8000kgs, max, on that flight

How much crew rest- Anybodies guess but that flight was a continuous duty overnight and it was the only flight they would have done that day unless something very unusual happened


These would not be considered rough conditions by myself or any of the crews flying down there then, or now. I don't pretend to know what happened, I've tried to get more information but haven't come up with much.

My two cents