suitable airport vs immediate landing
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 141
Likes: 15
From: yyz
I think Swissair 111 was the catalyst for a rethink of policy and checklists. There was a possibility that it might have been more survivable had they just dived it at the nearest runway.
It’s a very difficult decision if you’re some time away from any airfield. If there’s obvious smoke/heat and failing systems then it’s been made for you but what if there isn’t? There are parallels to an evacuation on the ground in that you know it is likely that people will be injured and/or killed during it, especially on a widebody. It’s a bit easier in Europe where you are often within 15mins of some tarmac and the outcome of a expedited landing is not generally in doubt but the same scenario over northern Canada in the winter is very different. Dark, -30C, rocks, frozen lakes and polar bears... You’d want to be nigh on 100% sure you were going to burn to death in the air before you attempted to put it down somewhere.
It’s a very difficult decision if you’re some time away from any airfield. If there’s obvious smoke/heat and failing systems then it’s been made for you but what if there isn’t? There are parallels to an evacuation on the ground in that you know it is likely that people will be injured and/or killed during it, especially on a widebody. It’s a bit easier in Europe where you are often within 15mins of some tarmac and the outcome of a expedited landing is not generally in doubt but the same scenario over northern Canada in the winter is very different. Dark, -30C, rocks, frozen lakes and polar bears... You’d want to be nigh on 100% sure you were going to burn to death in the air before you attempted to put it down somewhere.
