SWA 1392 hits person on runway in AUS
May 8, 2020, 9:29 am
#16
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hitting a 170 pound person at 140 mph can do this type of damage. Ever see the damage to a car that hits a deer at 50 mph? some scientific formula about energy related to the square of velocity, I believe.
May 8, 2020, 9:41 am
#17
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If I remember physics, F = ma, so the weight of the airplane and the weight of the pedestrian matter too. Otherwise hitting a deer and hitting a mosquito at 50 mph would be equally bad except for the deer having a bigger surface area to potentially have contact with the vehicle.
May 8, 2020, 11:48 am
#18
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VLOF = Lift-off Speed is the airspeed at which the aeroplane first becomes airborne.
V1 is Takeoff Decision Speed. That's a bit of a misnomer as the reject must be initiated no later than V1. In order to initiate the reject by V1, the decision to reject must be already made.
Landings are almost always at a slower airspeed than takeoffs due to the takeoff being at a heavier weight and a lower flap setting.
May 8, 2020, 12:08 pm
#19
Join Date: Sep 2002
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I'd love to see any finding/transcript confirming "the aircraft maneuvered to avoid an individual on runway." Speeds consistent with the impact damage make that a little problematic.
Travis EMS: "approx 30-year-old male, obvious DOA."
Travis EMS: "approx 30-year-old male, obvious DOA."
May 8, 2020, 8:06 pm
#21
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May 8, 2020, 11:01 pm
#22
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What else could the pilot do? Attempt to pull up? Various impulses are plausible, but wouldn't training be to do nothing? I know a student pilot who hit a deer on landing the school's prop plane, so surely runway collision situations are part of pilot training.
May 11, 2020, 9:11 am
#23
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They likely put a slight rudder input in, but by the time you see, identify (hey, there's something there!), and react, you've covered a lot of pavement.
May 11, 2020, 10:11 am
#25
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Pilots are taught "situational awareness", a fancy term for being aware of your surroundings at all times. Pilots are also taught to "go around" when a long landing or obstacle is spotted on the runway and braking hard straight head is not going to work. I don't think any plane would want to swerve at more than a taxi speed, they make lousy ground vehicles ! Deer can be a problem and often controllers and other aircraft announce them when they are on the move.
May 19, 2020, 1:48 pm
#27
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Pilots DO train for exactly that...it is called a "Go Around" where you abort the landing then climb like you were taking off to avoid a runway incursion. There is no "maneuvering" a plane of any size on final across the threshold about to land or after touching down. You either slow down and land or speed up and climb, any other actions other than adjustments for those two scenarios in that phase of flight is asking for a catastrophic result be it a single engine Cessna or a 737.
Last edited by PAX62; May 19, 2020 at 1:56 pm