Sadly though Josh if there is no approach, there is no DA. Surely if VFR you just don’t descent into a fog bank?
The point is you might be able to see the airfield and it just looks like a scattered mist layer. You only find out when you fly into it that it’s still hard fog.
I have done 2 CAT IIIs in the last month where the above applied in terms of visibility – the airfield and lights visible while being vectored downwind, and visibility only disappearing below 300ft.
The point about losing visual references below DA is that if a crew were visual with the airfield and expecting to land, then suddenly went IMC and didn’t correct the flightpath quickly, they could be in the ground before they knew it.
Yes but I just think it is different if you are on a stabilised instrument approach and that happens versus a VFR arrival.
Josh,
sure, but again: that would make sense if the aircraft had crashed into the fence just in front of the runway. But not if the aircraft crashed 4 kilometres from the threshold, approximately at runway elevation. That glidepath doesn’t make sense.
I think there is no excuse for such a stupidity. The crashed into that pole in 8 m height 3,7 km from the threshold …
Yes, RIP, but … (Is that an angle of 0.12 degrees to the runway? Correct?)
But not if the aircraft crashed 4 kilometres from the threshold, approximately at runway elevation. That glidepath doesn’t make sense.
It does suggest they were not flying any actually designed DIY IAP. 4km is a very long way. Even on a primitive DIY letdown you would set yourself up about 3nm on the extended centreline at 1000ft AAL and go down from there. It looks like a complete navigational screwup.
Also if you are visual from some point back on the final approach, you are not likely to lose visual contact later on. The loss of visual contact happens when the whole aspect changes e.g. you might see the runway from the downwind leg but can’t see it from the final.
I can’t see the physics which would suddenly obscure the visible runway while you are flying down the final approach – unless of course the mist/fog moves in to cover it.
Yes, Peter
of COURSE they flew into the fog intentionally, probably “hoping” they would “find” the runway.
The pylon which got hit
Interestingly the destination doesn’t have Customs.
German article here.
I wonder if this aircraft had any means of getting airport wx data while airborne. With persistent conditions like fog, there is likely to be a need to get wx for a number of airports, not just 1 or 2, and this is hard to do using ATC. Last year I was flying back to the UK from Croatia, against a headwind about 2x stronger than forecast (~70kt) and it was obvious we were going to have to land somewhere for fuel, but it was really hard to get ATC to help. Paris Control were simply unresponsive and left us hanging out to dry. Fortunately I had the satellite weather via the Thuraya 7100 which is a bit clumsy but it saved the day in the end.
There was a famous accident in Germany where some passenger flight flew from one airport to the next, unable to land at any of them due to wx, and eventually landed on a disused military runway with almost empty tanks, breaking off its landing gear because somebody but a barrier on the runway to stop people using it.
I wonder how they managed to be 8 meters above the ground (that’s the height they hit that pole, see the part of the wing hanging there?) 3.7 km form the runway … I mean the guy KNEW that airport and even if not that’s such a ridiculous angle to come in … I would really like to know what equipment that plane had …
Interestingly the destination doesn’t have Customs.
This is now making the rounds on the internet. Underlying is a misconception.
Obviously, a flight from England to Germany does not require “customs” as such. It requires police, in order to conduct a check of passports.
Many mid-size german GA airfields have an arrangement that allows the AFISO to conduct this check in lieu of a policemen. However, this often not laid down in the AD of these airport’s AIP entry. In theory, you could even have a Bundespolizist come to the airfield just for you.
As the FPL was filed EGKA-EDRT, I am sure some kind of arrangement kike those above was in place.
But again, no “customs” formailites are required.
