Second SFO Disaster Avoided Seconds Before Crash 248
sabri writes "On July 25th, flight EVA28, a Boeing 777 flying from Taiwan to SFO, was on the final approach for runway 28L when they were alerted by ATC that they were only at 600ft above the ground at less than 4NM from the threshold. SFO's tower directed the flight crew to climb immediately and declare missed approach. Assuming they were flying at 140 knots (typical approach speed of a 777), they were less than 2 minutes from the runway and at a 3 degree angle (approx 500ft/min descent), about a minute from impact. This is the same type of aircraft and runway used by the crashed Asiana flight. Similar weather conditions and awfully similar flight path. Is there a structural problem with computer-aided pilot's ability to fly visual approaches?"
Captain Wi Tu Low is at it again (Score:5, Funny)
Clearly he learned so much from his last flight
So who was phone? (Score:5, Funny)
Is there a structural problem with computer-aided pilot's ability to fly visual approaches?
Parse fail. I've even had my 3 cups of coffee and I got nothin'.
The only solution (Score:5, Funny)
is to ban all airplanes. Because of the children.
Re:This /. headline is sensationalist drivel (Score:5, Funny)
I expected a little less sensationalism and a lot more intelligence from slashdot.
You must be new here. ;)
Re:Captain Wi Tu Low is at it again (Score:5, Funny)
Wrong airline, that's a copilot and you misspelled his name. The pilots first named in the Asiana crash were Captain Sum Ting Wong, Wi Tu Lo, Ho Lee Fuk and Bang Ding Ow". Those names turned out to be wrong though. Other suggestions included Park Ma Plen Tu-Sun and Ha Yu Lan Dis Tang. KTVU's news director "Munchma Quchi" may be to blame for the errors, reported investigative journalist Stephen Colbert. [youtube.com]
Re:NO (Score:4, Funny)
never seen Die Hard 2, have you?
TLA overload in OP's FYI from the FAA - WTF? (Score:5, Funny)
So the LDA is OTS at SFO and the FAA published RNAV PRM for SOIA. TTL that ATC stepped in or EVA28 would have been SOL and all passengers DOA.
Re:NO (Score:4, Funny)
Because action movies are also documentaries.
Re:Captain Wi Tu Low is at it again (Score:4, Funny)
I didn't see anything in the original comment that suggested that the poster didn't like gay people.
Re:Captain Wi Tu Low is at it again (Score:5, Funny)
Oh, you're just homophonophobic.
Re:Captain Wi Tu Low is at it again (Score:2, Funny)
What do homophones have to do with stereotypes? If traditional English names sounded similar to words in another language, I don't think anyone would take offense to making jokes about the similarity. That's how humor works, but I suppose you have to have humor to get it.
True story . . . (Score:4, Funny)
No dependency on computers necessary for people to do stupid things. We blame automation but incompetence, failure to follow procedures, complacency, and dysfunctional cultural norms (ethnic or professional) are often a major contributor to disasters.
At a desert oil production station (Gialo) in Libya in the 80's a pilot crashed an LAA F27 passenger plane carrying field workers when he attempted a landing on the old runway instead of the new one.
The day was perfectly clear: not a cloud in the sky. Visibility was extremely good. Virtually no wind.
The old runway had been dusted over with crushed white Saharan calichi which made it fade into the surrounding background of light tan hardpan and sand. To further discourage use of the old runway, loads of rock had been dumped in piles down the centre end to end.
The new runway was inline with and off the end of the old. Brand spanking new asphalt, black as midnight, complete with high contrast runway markings and looking like big black stripe on a pale background. A blindman in a snowstorm could not miss the dang thing; it fairly screamed LAND HERE.
The NOTAMs were updated properly and anyone flying into Gialo would see the runway info as the first item.
Nonetheless, the pilot made his usual approach over the station like he had done many many times previous and did not realize the mistake until he was just about to touch down. Pulled up but a wheel caught a rock pile and he pranged the nose into the old strip. Go figure.
No one was killed and as far as I saw, they all walked off. One fella (a Brit of some flavour) had been sleeping and stepped out saying 'What's all the fuss about?". We turned him about and, gazing at the bent props, crushed nose and broken gear, he said: "Felt like a regular landing to me."
Re:Captain Wi Tu Low is at it again (Score:2, Funny)
In other news [slothed.com], a Korean news station named the pilots in last week's incident, where the landing gear of a Southwest Airline Boeing 737 collapsed during a landing at LaGuardia Airport, New York. According to the report, Captain Kent Parker Wright is under investigation. Co-Captain Wyatt Wooden Workman blames the nose gear failure for the incident. For further insight, the reporters interviewed flight instructor Heywood U. Flye-Moore and skeptical passenger Macy Lawyers.