China 747 almost buries it in Waikiki

[got_jumpseat?]

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2003/Jan/05/ln/ln16a.html

Gee whiz I wonder how this happened. My mother lives in Waikiki and not only did it wake her up it scared the living crap out of her and everybody else within the areas of Ala Moana & Waikiki this Saturday. Reports are the aircraft flew level with the 21st floor of the Century Center. Residents of the tower could see the PAX in the 747. The Century Center is on the corner of Kalakaua and Kapiolani or about 12 mile dog leg final for Rwy 26R and WAY TOO LOW. Idiots.

 

[got_jumpseat?]

Here's another article from todays paper

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2003/Jan/06/ln/ln01a.html]

 

[TurboS7]

Come on be easy on them, they were just trying to see if there were any topless girls on Waikiki Beach. They had been watching that "Girls Gone Wild" video and didn't realize it was filmed in Cancun.

 

[starvingcfi]

hehe

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

The FAA is saying it sounds like the reports were exaggerated. Yeah, the guy was feet-dry and people just aren't used to seeing that over Waikiki/Honolulu. Add pictures of 9-11 and people freak. Sounds to me like the guy flew a wide, flat base leg on the visual to 26. I'm sure any former residents of Hong Kong probably didn't even bat an eye. Also, century center can't be more than about 5 miles from the runway.

 

[Typhoon1244]

Yeah, I think these people don't know how to judge distances against a big mother like a 747. They saw something that looked closer than it was, spazed out about it, and the media's all over it.

Like I said before, the morning of September 11th, I thought 737's were hitting the W.T.C. The airplane-against-building perspective throws you off.

Media...[snort!]...I had a USA Truck driver cut me off on highway 114 the other day. Missed me by six inches. Didn't see that on CNN!

 

[Vik]

If any of you believe any of those articles, you are naive and an embarassment to the pilot community.

Could see inside .. 30ft away from the building .. ah huh .. suuuure.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Not all that hairy...

Looks like this guy was just a bit deep is all, not even low. If Century Center is 40 stories, then it's about 400 feet high. That puts the jet about 800 feet above the building...San Diegans see much closer stuff on a daily basis. He wasn't even flat, as the article states, he was 1200 feet until he started down on his final descent at 4 miles (sounds like a 3 degree glideslope to me). Anyway, I guess it can't hurt to have the heavies stay feet-wet to avoid waikiki. Do I sound like I have too much time on my hands? One can only surf so many hours a day....

http://starbulletin.com/2003/01/10/news/index7.html