Ask The Pilot

[jb747]

What degree of roll upon landing would cause contact with the ground? Would it be the wingtip, engine or fully-extended flap which would be the first object to contact? Do you need to use opposite inputs from rudder and ailerons to keep it level in a crosswind? Thanks.

You'll have a tail strike if you exceed 11.5º with the landing gear compressed, or 13.5º with it extended. Normal landings don't even reach 5º, but take-offs are about 12º.

A wing tip, or outer pod strike will occur at 7º.

In a crosswind, it will be wings level until the end of the flare, at which point you take out the drift. As you feed in rudder to cancel the 'crab', you'll need a gentle aileron input to cancel the secondary (roll) effect of the rudder. You may use a little bank to reduce any downwind drift.

 

[por930]

I don't understand the mechanism of this accident. The conditions weren't nice, but they weren't that bad either. The crew had already had one 'practice' go around, so they obviously knew how to do it. The radio call for the go around is pretty relaxed too. The aircraft is less identifiable than the A320 in Egypt, and that came down from height. A very high energy event.

Yes, Seems kind of strange as when the go around was advised, the a/c was certainly not what I would call committed, plenty of altitude and speed to simply get some more power and lift the nose a tad and have another go. Hope the 'black' boxes shed more light, as to why the sudden steep climb and stall? and no recovery action. I guess for a domestic pilot, long tiring flight at 6 hours, the last 2 waiting in 'bad' weather, though the radio transmissions sounded pretty relaxed. Some of the ATC was difficult to understand, especially the lady.


JB, in your world travels, you must come across many different ATC. Without being too undiplomatic, do you find certain countries are more difficult to understand. All my flying has been in Australia over the last 30 years. I had noticed over the years that female atc operators and controllers were clearer in dodgy reception areas.

 

[jb747]

Yes, Seems kind of strange as when the go around was advised, the a/c was certainly not what I would call committed, plenty of altitude and speed to simply get some more power and lift the nose a tad and have another go.

You have to be very careful reading data that presumably comes from Flightradar24 (or similar). We don't really know what the altitude readouts are (what pressure setting...in this instance that can change the numbers by about 700 feet). The speeds are almost certainly groundspeed, not IAS. Something in the order of 200 k g/s and almost 4,000 feet sounds pretty safe, and it does not sound like a massive pitch up into the stall. Assuming the wind is mostly on the nose, that's around 230 KIAS....

Hope the 'black' boxes shed more light, as to why the sudden steep climb and stall? and no recovery action.

Do we really know that any of those things happened?

I guess for a domestic pilot, long tiring flight at 6 hours, the last 2 waiting in 'bad' weather, though the radio transmissions sounded pretty relaxed. Some of the ATC was difficult to understand, especially the lady.

There is no doubt that it would have been extremely tiring. Fatigue may come into it, though that's normally, conveniently, written off as 'pilot error'!

JB, in your world travels, you must come across many different ATC. Without being too undiplomatic, do you find certain countries are more difficult to understand. All my flying has been in Australia over the last 30 years. I had noticed over the years that female atc operators and controllers were clearer in dodgy reception areas.

ATC varies enormously around the world. The best that I see is around London. Around the world, UK trained is also a good indicator. The hardest to understand...Korean.

 

[Milefest]

When the seat belt is on, this is why you don't decide to stand up.... Magenta is where the radar expects severe turbulence.

I've been through quite a lot of 'moderate' turbulence over the years and it can be quite nerve-wracking, don't think I've ever experienced 'severe' turbulence.

What are the risks when flying through severe turbulence? What's the worst you've encountered?

 

[Major]

If you are flying QF9 or any other flight which departs late at night, how easy is it to achieve proper rest during the day ?

I assume your family know your needs on the day of departure but there are some really noisy hotels around the world.

 

[jb747]

I've been through quite a lot of 'moderate' turbulence over the years and it can be quite nerve-wracking, don't think I've ever experienced 'severe' turbulence.

Like most pilots, I don't think that I've ever encountered severe turbulence either. That's why we go to so much trouble to go around it.

What are the risks when flying through severe turbulence? What's the worst you've encountered?

As long as you aren't near the ground, the only real risk is that that small percentage of passengers who simply won't do up their seat belts will get to kiss the roof.

 

[jb747]

If you are flying QF9 or any other flight which departs late at night, how easy is it to achieve proper rest during the day ?

I assume your family know your needs on the day of departure but there are some really noisy hotels around the world.

It can be impossible. Flying is basically shift work in which you change shifts every day or so. The body (mine anyway) can't be instructed to go to sleep. Sadly.

As for hotels (and guests)....many are very noisy. In fact I've just written a letter to the company about one hotel. Sadly the staff (cleaners) don't give a proverbial, and slamming doors and shouting down the corridors is pretty normal. Most people don't seem to understand that doors can be closed quietly.

It's easier to manage with 'heavy' crews, in which you'll get a break in flight.

 

[clazman]

Sadly the staff (cleaners) don't give a proverbial, and slamming doors and shouting down the corridors is pretty normal. Most people don't seem to understand that doors can be closed quietly.

One of my pet hates, no consideration for their guests....

 

[flychrisfly]

Hi Pilots

I was on a delayed flight recently and was curious to understand when the seat belt signs might be switched on/off. The delay was before takeoff and it was only 20 mins at first and then another 20 mins but then the captain came on and said we'd be delayed a further 50 mins due to cargo loading issues. Understand that 20 mins isn't enough time to let a 747 full of pax run around inside the plane but when the delay is known to be a further 40+ minutes I couldn't understand why we needed to remain seated and not use the loos, for example.

Hi, my question seems to have been missed (or avoided!)

Let me rephrase. What circumstances during an extended ground delay at the gate for departure would cause the seat belt signs to remain on or be turned off.

Thanks

 

[Boris spatsky]

Hi, my question seems to have been missed (or avoided!)

Let me rephrase. What circumstances during an extended ground delay at the gate for departure would cause the seat belt signs to remain on or be turned off.

Thanks

Up to the pilot in command and company policy. We will only turn them off if there is an extended delay and no chance of us needing to secure the cabin quickly. E.g. If we are delayed pushing back, then we won't let you up necessarily because once ATC give us pushback clearance, we have to move relatively soon thereafter and trying to get a whole planeload back to their seats is nigh on impossible in an efficient fashion.

We were recently held on the ground (at the gate) for 50 minutes in Brissy due to thunderstorms. We left the belts on, but instructed cabin crew to allow passengers one by one to use the toilet. Luckily we were given very short notice to pushback and got out of Brissy quickly. Another company aircraft was not so lucky and was delayed another hour waiting for the backlog to clear.

So in answer, it depends...

 

[Quickstatus]

Why dont people use airport toilets before boarding. There is always one or two that need to use the toilets minutes after boarding......

 

[RAM]

Why dont people use airport toilets before boarding. There is always one or two that need to use the toilets minutes after boarding......

There are those born with common sense and then there are the vast majority.

Like those that will spend untold time saying goodbye outside (and blocking) the entry to passport control etc only to then be last on board the plane sweating profusely armed with multiple duty free bags and complain about no space in the overhead lockers...

At least they were a long way in front of where we sat but they were unmistakable. BTW 2 got quite heated when told they could not use the toilets as the plane was about to push back.

 

[Hvr]

Why dont people use airport toilets before boarding. There is always one or two that need to use the toilets minutes after boarding......

There are those born with common sense and then there are the vast majority.

<snip>

And there are those of us who despite having a Jimmy Riddle immediately prior to boarding need another one immediately after boarding.

Age catches up with us all.

 

[Flashback]

Why dont people use airport toilets before boarding. There is always one or two that need to use the toilets minutes after boarding......

Then there are those who had to run from the lounge supping away that last glass of fizz and therefore didn't have time

 

[rogerkambah]

Sometimes if you get a dose of Bangkok Belly, you just have to go, despite an FA saying to sit down - otherwise it would have been very messy and smelly. Lesson learnt is to always carry Imodium in carryon.

I suppose there have been instances of pax in loo when landing.

 

[Quickstatus]

Thanks all, now to the captains:
is it ok to go when you gotta go while set belt sign is on and the plane is bout to land?

 

[opusman]

Thanks all, now to the captains:
is it ok to go when you gotta go while set belt sign is on and the plane is bout to land?

Broken bones, or wet pants - your choice.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Broken bones, or wet pants - your choice.

Or the Gérard Depardieu solution to the problem!

 

[Cynicor]

Why dont people use airport toilets before boarding. There is always one or two that need to use the toilets minutes after boarding......

I just don't mind using the plane bathrooms. I generally have a lot of time after boarding and plenty of space in the cabin.
Wouldn't dream of doing it in Y, but I try to avoid dreaming about Y at all anyway

 

[marki]

And there are those of us who despite having a Jimmy Riddle immediately prior to boarding need another one immediately after boarding.

Age catches up with us all.

Unlike wine