Citation; dry tanks 4th approach gear up

[CA1900]

I wonder how his language skills were? I happened to leave the Islip area some 20 years ago just before that 707 from Central America ran out of gas on a missed out of JFK. (Aeria-air, or something like that)...

That was Avianca flight 52, and there was definitely a problem with phraseology. Interesting reading:

http://www.airdisaster.com/reports/ntsb/AAR91-04.pdf

 

[F/O]

Withdraw if you will from the usual tendency on flightinfo to "pile on" and just look at what happened here objectively.

I don't think there's anyway, anyhow that you can't label these dudes as complete numbskulls...and that's putting it mildly....

 

[pilotgolfer]

Withdraw if you will from the usual tendency on flightinfo to "pile on" and just look at what happened here objectively.

I don't think there's anyway, anyhow that you can't label these dudes as complete numbskulls...and that's putting it mildly....

Have you ever had the weather at your alternate get really bad, really quickly? It happens. Just wait for the report to come out. There's got to be a piece of the puzzle missing.

 

[cjdriver]

I wonder if this is a Dominican crew not experienced in winter northeast weather. Anyone know where the crew came from?

 

[bizjet800]

Not that they shouldn't have gone somewhere else after the first or second approach--but in the back of their minds was probably the threat of our wonderful US CBP waiting with a $5000 fine had they gone somewhere else!

 

[BoilerUP]

I wonder if this is a Dominican crew not experienced in winter northeast weather. Anyone know where the crew came from?

ILM is Wilmington, NC...not the northeast by any means and not all that far from MYR (62nm), EWN (64nm), FAY (65nm), RDU (105nm) and had to fly right past CHS to get to ILM.


They had safe options other than 4 frickin' approaches to an airport below minimums...but the draw to ILM was Customs. They and their passengers are lucky it didn't cost them their lives.

 

[LJ45]

Not that they shouldn't have gone somewhere else after the first or second approach--but in the back of their minds was probably the threat of our wonderful US CBP waiting with a $5000 fine had they gone somewhere else!

So you are saying you are not allowed to divert for weather? Why would you continue if weather at the destination is below minimums? Couldn't you call customs and advise them of the situation? I had to divert before and 30 mins before landing called customs and we had no problems.

 

[ultrarunner]

...but in the back of their minds was probably the threat of our wonderful US CBP waiting with a $5000 fine had they gone somewhere else!

Naaa....if you divert, you divert....

The crew could have banged a left turn at any point while they traveled north and landed...

Get on the ground and call customs. Not a big deal.

 

[bizjet800]

Not that they shouldn't have gone somewhere else after the first or second approach--but in the back of their minds was probably the threat of our wonderful US CBP waiting with a $5000 fine had they gone somewhere else!

I know diverting is not that big of a deal. I was just commenting on the arrogance of our wonderful
US-CBP, or lack thereof!

 

[ultrarunner]

I know diverting is not that big of a deal. I was just commenting on the arrogance of our wonderful
US-CBP, or lack thereof!

Yeah, couldn't agree more on that biz!