Did you brake hard anytime in your flying career?
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Did you brake hard anytime in your flying career?
Hello all,
Today I had to brake hard (B738) to take a left turn on a taxiway as I almost crossed abeam it. It was a mistake and I should have continued and ask for reclearance than braking hard and making it somehow. Cabin crew informed she had a very minor injury and all passengers were ok. This is the first time I have committed a mistake like this and its bugging me a lot inside. Did you have to brake hard anytime in your career? What would have been the correct actions in such situation?
Thanks in advance.
Today I had to brake hard (B738) to take a left turn on a taxiway as I almost crossed abeam it. It was a mistake and I should have continued and ask for reclearance than braking hard and making it somehow. Cabin crew informed she had a very minor injury and all passengers were ok. This is the first time I have committed a mistake like this and its bugging me a lot inside. Did you have to brake hard anytime in your career? What would have been the correct actions in such situation?
Thanks in advance.
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What would have been the correct actions in such situation?
Cabin crew informed she had a very minor injury and all passengers were ok.
I agree with the other posters that if it looks like you'll miss an exit (all of us do from time to time) then go for the next one rather than standing on the brakes. For runway occupancy, the worst scenario is to brake down to a low speed, miss the exit then trundle to one further down.
These days I tend to use an auto brake setting that will definitely stop me at or before my chosen exit, then reduce it later in the roll. As a passenger, it feels like something has gone wrong if braking levels increase during the rollout or become jerky.
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Unless the Cabin Crew was injured by something flying....she should've been in the alert position, feet on floor and sitting on hands, head against headrest. Something odd there.
That you are obviously concerned about it is a good thing. You have learned something, you won't do it again, you'll tell the stories in the bar and anyone who talks to you will have that in the back of their mind when they stomp on the brakes next to make a turnoff.
That you are obviously concerned about it is a good thing. You have learned something, you won't do it again, you'll tell the stories in the bar and anyone who talks to you will have that in the back of their mind when they stomp on the brakes next to make a turnoff.
Car 30, why was this a ‘mistake’. What was the plan, why was this choice of action chosen?
Why did the actual braking distance deviate from the plan. Did it matter either way, brake harder or continue down the runway (taxiway ?), assuming that both options were operationally safe.
The issue of cabin crew is separate safety problem which you should not have to worry about during landing.
Use the brakes for safety not comfort, brake as hard as you like, any time, for the situation as you see it.
Why did the actual braking distance deviate from the plan. Did it matter either way, brake harder or continue down the runway (taxiway ?), assuming that both options were operationally safe.
The issue of cabin crew is separate safety problem which you should not have to worry about during landing.
Use the brakes for safety not comfort, brake as hard as you like, any time, for the situation as you see it.
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Basic landing preparation:
- calculate Landing Distance Required
- assess which preferred exit is to be used and if unable which alternatives there are
- determine what configuration is required to achieve LDR < LDA
- select configuration which is required of achieving LDR < LDA
- during landing, if not touching down on markers, consider using options determined in alternatives identified above instead of excessive braking, unless that's your only alternative option
Note: I recently flew in Dublin with some very experienced FO's, all of whom very capable of handling the B738 and in company and base for some years. When asked how long the LDA is for the planned runway 28 exit E6 to vacate as being briefed, it was shocking to see how many did not know/realise the exit they planned for had a published LDA of several hundred meters less then what they thought it was (600m less LDA in one case!), yet the LDA is published in table format in our Airport General pages of the charts. At no point did any of the FO's suggest to do a landing calculation to determine the landing configuration required to make the elected exit safely, each referring to the fact they and all their captains based in Dublin "always land in this configuration". It is when landing are done, when referring to a configuration that "everyone always lands with here" exits are missed or heavy braking is required. Best option, to take control and use next exit safely, instead of heavy braking to make a RET, which in Dublin E6 case is not designed for standard RET speed but reduced by nearly 50%)
- calculate Landing Distance Required
- assess which preferred exit is to be used and if unable which alternatives there are
- determine what configuration is required to achieve LDR < LDA
- select configuration which is required of achieving LDR < LDA
- during landing, if not touching down on markers, consider using options determined in alternatives identified above instead of excessive braking, unless that's your only alternative option
Note: I recently flew in Dublin with some very experienced FO's, all of whom very capable of handling the B738 and in company and base for some years. When asked how long the LDA is for the planned runway 28 exit E6 to vacate as being briefed, it was shocking to see how many did not know/realise the exit they planned for had a published LDA of several hundred meters less then what they thought it was (600m less LDA in one case!), yet the LDA is published in table format in our Airport General pages of the charts. At no point did any of the FO's suggest to do a landing calculation to determine the landing configuration required to make the elected exit safely, each referring to the fact they and all their captains based in Dublin "always land in this configuration". It is when landing are done, when referring to a configuration that "everyone always lands with here" exits are missed or heavy braking is required. Best option, to take control and use next exit safely, instead of heavy braking to make a RET, which in Dublin E6 case is not designed for standard RET speed but reduced by nearly 50%)
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Anchors...
Hello all,
Today I had to brake hard (B738) to take a left turn on a taxiway as I almost crossed abeam it. It was a mistake and I should have continued and ask for reclearance than braking hard and making it somehow. Cabin crew informed she had a very minor injury and all passengers were ok. This is the first time I have committed a mistake like this and its bugging me a lot inside. Did you have to brake hard anytime in your career? What would have been the correct actions in such situation?
Thanks in advance.
Today I had to brake hard (B738) to take a left turn on a taxiway as I almost crossed abeam it. It was a mistake and I should have continued and ask for reclearance than braking hard and making it somehow. Cabin crew informed she had a very minor injury and all passengers were ok. This is the first time I have committed a mistake like this and its bugging me a lot inside. Did you have to brake hard anytime in your career? What would have been the correct actions in such situation?
Thanks in advance.
I envy your European and Middle Eastern open expanses of concrete. Here in the the US we can be a little constrained by rivers, buildings and oceans.
KLGA & KDCA are my fave stations to use 3000PSI of hydraulic effort. A mile or so of runway and an exciting transition to large bodies of water..
On landing everyone is strapped in. Taxiing out is another matter all together and planning braking distances ahead of time makes the hotel shuttle ride less unpleasant...
~
I REALLY SHOULDN'T BE HERE
Auto brake has eroded pilots’ braking skills ie. a lot of guys who use auto brake for every landing seem to be incapable of judging the braking effort required from touchdown to a specific exit whilst using manual brakes. Skills must be practiced regularly otherwise they will diminish. There is nothing wrong or even uncomfortable with heavy braking provided it is progressive and smooth ie. don’t rapidly change the deceleration rate - smooth increase, smooth decrease of braking effort. Brake for safety first, comfort second and economy third.
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Hi Carnival30,
I luckily never had to brake hard since I quit bush flying. Now flying the Minibus with long runways only on our scheduled destinations it’s quite unlikely in normal operations.
I salute your good attitude and thank you for sharing your experience.
Edit: After reading again your initial post, I suspect you were taxiing and was about to miss a taxiway. Anyway, I’m sure you are not the first one nor the last one. We all do mistakes. You will get over it with time. I once forgot to put the tail stand on a Cessna Caravan assuming the new Fo did it and it felt on his tail while boarding.. Lol. I was feeling sh*t too. xD
I luckily never had to brake hard since I quit bush flying. Now flying the Minibus with long runways only on our scheduled destinations it’s quite unlikely in normal operations.
I salute your good attitude and thank you for sharing your experience.
Edit: After reading again your initial post, I suspect you were taxiing and was about to miss a taxiway. Anyway, I’m sure you are not the first one nor the last one. We all do mistakes. You will get over it with time. I once forgot to put the tail stand on a Cessna Caravan assuming the new Fo did it and it felt on his tail while boarding.. Lol. I was feeling sh*t too. xD
Last edited by pineteam; 28th Jun 2018 at 06:49. Reason: Sentence added.