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QCOSTARICA – An American Airlines plane was denied landing on Saturday night at the Liberia airport, in Guanacaste, due to an alleged “communication failure” between air traffic controllers.
See, ATC aren't good at communicating.
the aircraft whose flight originated in Dallas, Texas and bound for El Salvador, was unable to land in that country due to bad weather and, after presenting a “fuel problem”, requested an emergency landing at Daniel Oduber Quirós airport (LIR), around 11:50 pm.
Vargas indicated that since the Liberia airport closes at midnight, it denied landing.
ICAO should mandate all airports to be open 24/7. A bit like in Canada and the US.
I could see a similar thing happen in Europe to be honest: political pressures, curfews, lots of borders, ... It would take a ballsy controller to clear a plane into a closed airport at night, even during an emergency.
I'm a Bad Person™. If I declare an emergency and I'm looking to land immediately, I'm
not really going to seek much approval from ATC.
If ATC has a hot date and needs to hit the highway right at quitting time, that's cool - just
leave the airport lights and the ILS on when they leave.
Honestly, they don't have to do that, if it's inconvenient. I can fly the approach with GPS
and do a black landing.
Oh absolutely, but it's much easier to do that in a Western country vs a more 'interesting' one with a load of pax in the back. It all depends on the emergency of course.
The Boeing 707 flying this route ran out of fuel after a failed attempt to land at JFK, causing the aircraft to crash onto a hillside in the small village of Cove Neck, New York, on the north shore of Long Island. Eight of the nine crew members and 65 of the 149 passengers on board were killed.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the crash occurred due to the flight crew failing to properly declare a fuel emergency
There will be no new causes of aviation accidents in 2021.
I know I'm in the minority, but I would personally prefer a tangle of paperwork to a tangled heap of burning tin and meat.
That used to be a common attitude amongst 20th century pilots, but I guess things change.
I had this discussion with an airport manager in greenland many years ago and they had limited hours. He was horrified at how canada allowed remote activation of runway lights and no person on duty when the aircraft landed. Having said that if an emergency was declared they would man the airport.
In anywhere else but north america there is no such thing as declaring "min" fuel. You simply declare an emergency and get it done. Makes it a lot easier for atc and not having to listen to a whining pilot trying to jump the cue. Paperwork is really fuck all, especially when dispatch does most of it for you.
As said you don't need much support if you just need to get it on the ground and save everyone's ass. Declare that "mayday" and you are making the rules.
Oh ya over weight landings are just usually a formality until the aircraft is signed off back in service.
"black air has no lift - extra fuel has no weight"
I was getting a little confused wondering what a flight from Dallas to El Salvador was doing across the pond in Liberia until I figured out that was the airport or town name.
If this guy was on fumes, I don't think he'd have that problem?
I saw that but I threw it in there because of the many times I have witnessed guys more worried about that than dealing with the obvious issue and get back on the ground.
thread drift -- my bad
"black air has no lift - extra fuel has no weight"
my bad