![]() ![]() The drag created by the flaps (and gear for that matter) coupled with approach speeds requires a higher thrust setting, which makes the spool time of a turbine significantly less. Weather at the time claims 1/2 mile visibility, so they might have been even further out than 1/4 mile when they saw the plane. Somebody's confused.The pilots saw the plane and executed a missed approach, and ATC was alerted at the same time by ground radar. Sounds like they are claiming the AMASS system that alerted ATC was on the Frontier plane. What alarm system is that, the TECAS? Or the stick shaker? ![]() That's why pilots have to know ATC procedures at the airport and follow them to the letter.Įxperts say the alarm system in the Frontier plane was a lifesaver in this situation. 10 seconds is about all the grace there is in modern ATC operations at a busy airport. Yet if this had happened 10 seconds earlier, the Frontier flight would have aborted over a mile out and we might have gotten a 2-line blurb in the paper, if anything. Putting this all together, we have about a 10 second string of events that narrowly averted disaster. That can take another 2-4 seconds on a good day. Now if the crew was warned by ATC only 4 or 5 seconds early, at around 1,500 feet out, then sometime before that ATC was alerted to the Metroliner's movement in some manner by ground radar, recognized the conflict, decided on a response and called Frontier. 4 or 5 seconds, BTW, is about 1,500 feet or well over 1/4 mile at approach speed. I certainly don't claim to be an expert, but I would estimate that the Frontier flight had maybe 4 or 5 seconds notice, and had to lean on the throttle and hope the engines could spool up in time. No response is instantaneous, especially when the engines are at low thrust settings for landing. If the craft were 50 feet apart when they discovered the conflict, this would be a much different story I guess more specifically, if a plane enters an active runway where a jet has been cleared to land, ATC doesn't know prior to them coming within 50 feet of each other? FIFTY FEET? That is VERY close.ĥ0 feet is the closest distance the craft came to each other, as estimated from radar. ![]()
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