Weatherboy

It is extremely troubling that an experienced 757 pilot brought a CO aircraft down on anything but the runway it was supposed to land on. If the winds/sun glare/etc. were so bad that it would lead to anything other than a safe landing on the prescribed runway, the experienced pilot should not have attempted the landing.

It's one thing if this was an cessna pilot landing at a flight school incorrectly. But this is a 757/767 pilot bringing in a big plane into CO's hub --there is zero room for error with that type of situation.

And CO is very fortunate that this incident went injury-free.

JerseyCityS

Coupon connection? What does that mean?

I think lots of nice people in Jersey City share the same view - so you should have no trouble buying - but you better hurry, JC has become a very popular, expensive place. My place isn't for sale

TWA Fan 1

Of course, head wind on landing is a good thing...

BigPoppaCO

I would be curious to see what the reaction would be in here if it was a DL plane instead of CO

bocastephen

I don't think we can expect the Capt. to come on the PA and say "oops, sorry for the hard landing there folks, I accidently landed on the taxiway instead of the runway. Now everyone run out and buy those lotto tickets, because it's a good thing no one decided to turn onto the taxiway as our aircraft was hurtling along at 100mph. Wecome to Newark, and we appreciate your business."

In the event of such a serious error (if this is all actually true), I am sure that he was first off to file a NASA report to preserve his ticket as others speculated here, followed by a meeting with his FO to discuss what happened and figure out how it will be explained to the CO Chief Pilot and his panel.

Not to mention how he must have felt - and who needs to be sitting there while your passengers file off the aircraft looking at you like you're crazy and almost killed them (assuming some of the pax figured out where they touched down).

AEpilot76

His first step was probably to keep the cockpit door closed during deplaning

Second, he quickly got a hold of ALPA and his union rep

Third, the capt files an ASAP (which will then automatically file a NASA form)..most airlines using the ASAP program (Aviation Safety Awareness Program)

Fourth, he probably had a chat with the tower

bocastephen

I am sure common sense and Union guidelines strongly suggest that a flight officer refrain from admitting or discussing any incident - pilot error or not - with the passengers, public or media. So we can't blame him for remaining silent after the flight.

bpan0704

But is it much better than MCO roll coaster

Vulcan

From a PPRUNE post.

__________________________________________________ ____________

tom775257
Over 250 posts so far. Perhaps I should click here and order a Personal Title

Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Birmingham, UK
Age: 25
Posts: 253


I have been in a situation landing runway 22 into the sun at sunset - visual approach. A CB had just been through but had cleared off and the tarmac was like a mirror, I honestly couldn't see to fly the final part of the approach / land shades or not. Just blazing sunlight directly into my eyes. I did a go around and found during the GA that I had lined up on the taxi way. Scary, but it shows the dangers of landing into sun at sunset... (nb this was a non-ILS runway so no help there, and the NDB QDM was as bang on as you could hope for)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Apparently not the first time, and probably not the last. I guess there are two choices:
Move the runway
or
Move the sun

PresRDC

Never been more sure of anything in my life.

It caught my attention precisely because AA does not normally operate the type into EWR. I actually thought it was a 777 at first, but then got a closer look at the tail cone.

carpboy

Not really. Turning radius is dependent on airspeed only and at 20 degree bank is roughly an extra 1000 feet in radius for every 20 kts true airspeed, in the 140-200 speed range.

I've landed on that runway many many times and always dreaded it, nothing to do with the runway but by the fact that when it is in use that means there are capacity limitations and generally long delays.

Globaliser

But the same goes for every other big jet airline pilot who's landed on a taxiway. It's happened before; it'll happen again.

TWA Fan 1

The airframe is bigger so there is more structural inertia, but the main thing is that the 747 lands a little faster than smaller planes so any turns will be somewhat longer since approach speeds are also a little higher.

VideoPaul

I was landing at Madison, WI once almost directly into the sun. It would have been WAY easy to land on a taxiway. I was riding the ILS down even though I was on a visual approach and I was using that to make sure I was where I was supposed to be. It apears that RWY29 at EWR doesn't have ANY precision approaches. RWY 11 (29's reciprocal) does.

Also, the PAPI on RWY 29 is on the right side of the runway. I can't tell form the airport diagram if it's between RWY 29 and TWY Z or to the right of TWY Z. If it's o nthe other side of TWY Z, it would further lead one off to the right.

Why they don't have at least one precision approach to RWY 29 is a good question to ask.

--PP

TWA Fan 1

IIRC, the PAPI are north of RWY 29, which confirms your theory.

There is no precision approach because there is no space for it, given the NJ Turnpike, the railroad and the dock facility behind all that.