Santorini question

[blousky]

Hello everyone,

The pax season is coming again so I'm reviewing my approach charts for some "unfamiliar" airports of our network.

One thing is bugging me: Why is a straight-in landing not authorized on this approach:




http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/8822/jtrvor.gif

The reasons I know for not authorizing a straight-in are: an offset of more than 30° or a slope greater than 400ft/NM. This isn't the case so there must be something else I'm missing.

It could be because a landing is simply not authorized on the 34 but then why is the approach made in that direction then?

Any of you care to have a look at it?

(I hope it isn't something so obvious that I missed...)

Thanks in advance.

[STBYRUD]

There is another airport in our network where this is the case, the thing is that it basically forces the flight crew to 'go visual', even in night conditions and venture into the gray zone... My guess is that the obstacle clearance is not guaranteed if you follow the descent path down to the runway, its probably below a value specified by Doc 8168 - I'll look that up...

[Coffin Corner]

I have just come back from flying into Santorini a few times in a Q400, I can only think that it is the terrain, because even on the offset approach and then lining up for 34 once past MDA you are quite close to the old granite rock that is on your left and sticking out quite a bit. It's a big old piece of rock there.

[CHAPARRAL]

That one is easy:
The Final Approach Track does not intercept the RYW extended centreline.

Cheers, C.

P.S. See ICAO Doc. 8168, page I-4-1-2, topic 1.2.3.3.

[A321COBI]

I cant see much reasoning behind that

[galaxy flyer]

And CHAPPARAL wins the Trivia Contest, in a walk. Good one!!!

GF

[blousky]

YEAH! Thanks!!!!

And you said it much better than the book:

The final approach track of a circling approach procedure is in most cases aligned to pass over some portion of the usable landing surface of the aerodrome.

[A321COBI]

looked it up and and this is 100 percent correct

That one is easy:
The Final Approach Track does not intercept the RYW extended centreline

[fantom]

Never mind that. Just make sure you take a picture of the caldera.

Also: note the runway width - narrow.

[bumpyflight]

Are you sure it has nothing to do with weather patterns

[CHAPARRAL]

Good point fantom!

The narrow rwy’s (below 45 metres) have an impact on the VMCG, and therefore on the minimum V1 calculations.

The A320 has a “special operations” topic: Operation on Narrow Runways (FCOM 2.04.60).

Widebodies should not operate on narrow runways.

C.