Classic British Flight Sim

The pilots of the United 747 were in the perfect position to observe the descent and impact so at least they'll get some reliable eye-witness reports. The height that it bounced before coming to rest does indeed show the strength of modern aircraft. It's incredible how the fuselage stayed intact and how many survivors there were.

Thanks for the link, Nigel.

Ian

Apparently, it looks like one of the 2 killed was run over by a responding emergency vehicle

It seems to becoming clear that there was no mechanical issue and they simply got too low and too slow.

Low speed call at 7 sec before impact

Stick shaker at 4 sec

Call for go around at 1.5 sec, by then, the engine exhaust was kicking up spray and the speed was significantly below Vref.

Clear blue sky, visual approach to a 11k+ foot runway. Contrary to some reports, the PAPIs were operational, they were NOTAM'd out later as the 777 destroyed them!

As I mentioned earlier and have not been able to get it again since, FR24 replay showed it at 88 kts offshore. Another report from a radar said 85 kts.

Now these might not be accurate but perhaps they are enough to support the theory that it was not a slight drop but a significant loss of airspeed whatever the actual figures were.

When I first saw it I naturally thought of many things that could cause it even of weather didn't seem an obvious suspect.

The crew allowing it to fly into the ground short...well I discounted that as it didn't seem possible in such conditions.

An odd one for sure.

My deepest condolences to the families of the dead girls and thought for the injured some of whom sound like they may never properly recover...if indeed they make it at all

Whatever the responsibilities for the crash are for the pilots concerned, I can only imagine how bad they must feel right now.

Bad enough in days gone by, but nowadays it's so public.

speedbird591 wrote:It's incredible how the fuselage stayed intact and how many survivors there were.

That's for sure. If I was on that aircraft I think I'd send a thank-you card to Boeing.

Brian

The PIC having only 45 hours in the type wouldn't have anything to do with it... would it?

Joe

airboatr wrote:The PIC having only 45 hours in the type wouldn't have anything to do with it... would it?

Joe

Might only have limited time on the 777, but an ex- 747-400 captain with over 9,000hrs total time.

I'm pretty sure that the 747 has airspeed indicators as well as the 777.

Indeed, same.

And 60 hours is considered fully certified... so

They are both heavies, one having two engine s the other four.

Are they a world apart in flight characteristics?

The point is that he wasn't a novice at wide-body flying, he had flown into SFO many times on the 747 and should have known his way around an AFCS.

I woudn't imagine there would any great differences in operating the 777 and 747 in the approach phase. Systems architechture is pretty similar.

Certainly not enough of a difference that he should fly the aircraft into the sea wall. There were at least 2 of them sat there and 2 f'ing great windscreens in front of them, not to mention a full set of instruments each.

I'd be happy with just one of those widescreens for my sim.

But I don't need no stinking instruments.

Ok , well maybe a speed indicators..