Originally Posted by
PurdueFlyer
There is actually an FAA publication, which I assume all of the major carriers must mirror, plus any other airport they feel warrants additional training.
https://fsims.faa.gov/PICDetail.aspx...C%20QA-May2018
but the heavy hitters are pretty much all of the Ski Country markets (JAC/EGE/HDN/MTJ/BZN) & anything else with obstructions or mountainous terrain. GIG/UIO/BOG/GUA/SJO/TGU/STT/SXM are the big int'l ones. DCA for the short runway and airspace procedures. I think DL has several "levels" of special qual importance, and the level of training and currency escalates depending on the level. IE, Ontario CA is technically special qual, but nobody is doing sim rides or riding with a line check airman to be able to fly to ONT. Places like EGE and SJO, different story. I am not sure where JNU falls on that spectrum.
Being a pilot based out of ANC, I have had training in several special airports up here. JNU was one. Others were ADQ, VDZ, GBH, PPC, and SNP. I would agree that since JNU is a "special" airport, and most likely the checklist called for a landing at "nearest suitable airport" and NOT "land immediately at nearest suitable airport" that YXY would be more appropriate than JNU in this case. Had the checklist called for the "land immediately" directive, or had the situation been more dire, then JNU would've definitely been an option.