SWA lands at wrong Branson Airport

[PCL_128]

I won't criticize the crew for the same reason wave mentioned: the training departments industry-wide have been telling people for years to "fly the airplane" and not be heads down.

So, instead of criticizing the crew, I'll criticize the training departments. It's time to stop the macho bull$hit and admit that automation and technology is what has been driving down accident and incident statistics for the past few decades. Instead of telling pilots not to be heads down, instead tell them to extend the downwind and program the box the right way instead of being in a hurry to just do the approach. There is zero reason to not insist on having every approach in the box on today's aircraft. This incident easily could have resulted in the deaths of everyone on board if the crew wasn't smart enough to slam on their breaks really fast and really hard. That drop at the end of that runway would have been deadly, and it looks like it was only a couple hundred feet away. The crew deserves credit for saving everyone's ass. The philosophy of not always programming the box is what deserves blame.

 

[Ty Webb]

There is zero reason to not insist on having every approach in the box on today's aircraft.

Absolutely true. If you don't have time to load it and brief it, you are likely too rushed to be making the approach anyway.

 

[LandGreen]

My takeaway: many nights to dark and desolate airports...controllers want to pimp u to take a visual, or...they vector u close in base 1500' inside FAF. No more...on initial contact, ATC will get the ATIS code and request vectors OUTSIDE FAF for the visual (if no FAF; 7 mi final off extended runway). ATC coffee break will have to wait another two min.

Sorry for the crew and keeping my fingers crossed that they keep their jobs

 

[Little G-Force]

I think all of us Corn Dogs all know it was a huge screw up and unacceptable....as every other pilot from every other airline will say. Especially in a NG. I feel bad for the guys but they f$&ked up...hate to say it but they'll most likely be fired and SWAPA can't do much. I'm not one of these my airline is better than yours schmuck so I won't even go there. After all the management screw ups with massive reroutes and long days I'm surprised we didn't have more screw ups in the past few weeks. Good luck to these guys...they'll need it.

Applause applause you nailed it and this
If I was joe passenger and my wife and newborn were on board I would have punched the captain not thanked him for almost killing me

 

[RLAblows]

"Don't worry folks I was an F-16 pilot in the Air Force, your in good hands!

"gutsiest move I ever saw man."

 

[ttuite]

I heard that the Captain was b1tching about "Gays, Grande, and Grannies all the way in....

 

[Critter717]

For the SWA guys:
How often do you use RNAV RNP?
Is there a requirement to back up a night visual approach with an instrument approach?

I have little doubt that updating the -700s to be able to utilize IAN would go quite a bit farther to increase the level of safety on a day to day basis than RNAV RNP. In particular, as the footprint of the operation expands outside of the continental United States.

In less than 12 months Southwest crews will be faced with flying into airports new to many pilots with language and local procedures that are different enough to cause problems.

My wagon is hitched to the success of SWA. I am interested in seeing every flight operated safely. This was a very close call. If you are not familiar with IAN ask an Airtran 737 guy or read a cut and pasted google search below.

Integrated Approach Navigation (IAN) is an approach option designed for airlines that want to use ILS-like pilot procedures, display features, and autopilot control laws for nonprecision (Category I) approaches. This option does not require additional ground facility support
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The FMC transmits IAN deviations to the autopilot and display system. The pilot procedures for IAN are derived from current ILS pilot procedures and are consistent for all approach types: Select the approach on the FMC control display unit, tune the appropriate station, and arm the autopilot approach mode. The IAN function supports the ILS for glideslope inoperative, localizer only, and backcourse approach types.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The IAN function will alert the crew to approach selection or tuning inconsistencies. For example, if an ILS station is tuned and an area navigation (RNAV) approach also is selected on the FMC, the flight crew will be alerted and the ILS approach mode will take precedence automatically, with the appropriate display format.
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]While the IAN display (fig. 3) is similar to an ILS display, there are sufficient visual differences to ensure that the crew does not confuse a nonprecision IAN approach for a precision ILS or GLS approach (fig. 4). As on all nonprecision approaches, the altimeter is the primary method of ensuring that altitude constraints are honored.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Retrofit of this option involves software updates for the FMC, CDS, flight control computer, and digital flight data acquisition unit (DFDAU) and hardware and software updates for the EGPWS.[/FONT]
[/FONT]

 

[SELCAL checks]

I bet you can't use IAN in the Classic.

 

[4day]

SW -800 tail strike in Vegas last week as well. Mexico here we come.

 

[Capn Butthead]

We are required like all airlines to have a radio back up to all approaches. Landing South at Branson there is only a gps approach so no radio back up...but they should've had the GPS up...that is something that will come out later I guess. It still sucks and we have a management group now that takes no accountability...not saying that has anything to do with this...but we have had our as$&s handed to us the past few weeks with long days and no rest because of poor operational control...yet they blame weather and part 117. The flights was an hour late through MDW (surprise! Holding for gates I'm sure) which means that they were landing at night instead of day...still no reason to mess this up but we've all been there...late, tired, frustrated and pissed off...this management needs to wake up...you can only run people to hard before they strike back or something like this happens...just my opinion.