TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin An incredable landing in SXM

WOW
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel...-Caribbean.html <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />

Impressive.

I suspect that video has been edited.

that was crazy, never scene one that low. Looked like you could touch the wheels!

That video was edited without a doubt.

Yes.

Well that takes a lot of the cool out of it!

I can't figure out what airline it is. It has a British flag on it but PP, the start of its registration identification is not the code for Great Brittan. I don't know what it is. Also the aircraft type is not long-range, so it couldn't have come from Europe. In fact I don't think it could make from anywhere in the U.S. except Puerto Rico.

It is an aircraft for a subsidiary of British Airways. The airline operates short haul flights in the UK and European destinations. I would assume it is a new aircraft on its way from Brazil where it is manufactured to London. It has a flying range of over 2000 miles, so with a series of stops say in SXM, US, Canada, Iceland etc. it can make it to London. Many smaller aircraft with even shorter flying ranges use the same method to get aircraft made in North America to Europe.

Yes, maybe a bit TOO incredible! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Photoshop ?

I saw that and I wondered, as I've never seen that marking on a plane before. Perhaps it is a total fake.

Well it looks real to me, I've been there quite often and ocasionaly some cut it closer then others.

Especially based on the markings on the plane, etc., I would bet 5 cents of someone else's money that it is a fake.

It could be and the name is also ineligible, but I've seen some aircraft come in incredibly low where it was freaky.

Empress of London City, subsidiary of British Airways

https://www.google.ca/search?q=empress+o...mp;ved=0CBwQsAQ

The EMBRAER 190 is manufactured in Brazil. Some of their planes are flown by KLM, Air Canada and Jet Blue to name a few. Their range with 98 passengers is around 2,400 nautical miles.

It's a real plane, real airline and a landing that should not have been that close to the fence for such a small plane.

Do you know for sure it's a real landing at SXM??? I don't doubt it's a real plane or a real airline. I just wonder whether it's a real landing at SXM, as it looks doctored to me.

I can't say it was a real landing. All I can say is it was a bad landing that should not have been if the video is real.

Looks like it was real. There is corroboration with other pics of this landing. Down in the comments section of this article is a picture from a different angle / cameraman. Also there is another youtube video from almost directly below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALnuK_r5VhY

http://flightclub.jalopnik.com/watch-a-b...dium=socialflow

If that was photo shopped they did a really good job ! The shadow of the plane is perfect !

It could very well be a real video, not photo-shopped. But filmed from an angle that made it appear that the plane was much, much lower than it really was. You can do all sorts of things with photos and videos if you know how to manipulate angle and perspective.

Looking at that other video, I think maybe it is real, because you see how much effect the plane landing has on the people on the beach, blowing hats off, etc. Whoever those pilots were, that was incredibly dangerous. Those pilots should be prevented from landing at Juliana again for sure.

And this is your professional opinion?

Folks certainly are snippy around here these days! Ok, certainly I am not a professional pilot. However, it looks like there could be two explanations, if the video is in fact real. One, the pilot was incompetent or two, they were showboating for the crowd, which is very dangerous, as a certain ship captain found out when over 30 people died. I suppose it could be there was a sudden downdraft, but that is a small enough plane that they should not have had to cut it nearly that close to land there.

i agree on the snippy, i notice it is coming from us in the northeast and i think it is the cold is starting to really get to us! Sorry on behalf of all us cold new englanders!

I agree!! That was an extremely low approach. In fact, if you watch the video closely, and for me repeatedly, it appears as if the aircraft touches down on the displaced threshold (the yellow chevrons painted at the approach end of the runway).

The displaced threshold is there for a reason -- The proximity of the runway to the fence, road, and beach. Under NO circumstances should an aircraft land on the displaced threshold. Why? because it is not safe. It is however, permissible to begin the take off roll from the displaced threshold.

If you watch other videos of planes landing at SXM you will see that they land beyond the chevrons, usually between the threshold marking -- white lines across the runway and the thousand foot markers.

So I agree! the flight crew was A) showboating or B) incompetent.

Also, before I get snipped -- Yes I am an instrument rated private pilot. So I know somewhat of what I speak. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Smile.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for the reply, astropilot..

I noticed that he landed on the over-run which is a no-no. We were always told to be 50 feet over the fence. He was about 10.

I've been there for a normal landing, and found it very hard not to duck when the plane went overhead. The people on the beach seem completely nonplussed by how low the plane is!

I agree with Astropilot. There is absolutely no reason for this type of plane to land that short. If that was the US the crew would be on the carpet in short order! If this kind of Cr_p continues someone is going to insist that the beach be closed to peds. and just let the road remain.

While that was a low landing, I recall seeing a picture on this forum of a plane actually taking the fence out on the other side of the road. This plane missed the fence.

Carol, do you recall that picture or am I having a Brian Williams moment?

I recall seeing that too, but can't remember where.

I'm not sure whether I have seen a picture like that. I know that Air France actually took out the fence there at the end of the runway one time, but don't remember seeing a picture offhand.

The ILS is your friend. If you listen to it and follow it's directions it'll set you down in the touchdown zone everytime. This flight crew, and the one that took out the fence could not have possibly been following the cockpit indications.

As a commercial, instrument pilot Astropilot is correct about the displaced threshold. In fact, if a pilot trying to get his license lands on it, it is auto flunk.

That said, it is physically there and the corroborating YouTube of 5 landings in real speed sure looks real that these hotdogs headed for it. I believe the corroborating you tubes.

I agree GAKaye. I thought it was photoshopped purely because of the lack of reaction from people on the beach for such a low landing. I have been there for many, many landings and I would still have ducked or at least flinched for that one!

I think the camera location plays a part in the apparent close call or should I say 'yeh that was a close call'. I think the people on the beach are very near the sunset bar and that makes them look so big in a wide angle lens. It does appear to be only a couple of feet over the fence which is some 7 ft high. I feel it is a way low approach and maybe it was a crew new to the plane. The Embrier 190 must be a new plane and many crews must be new. Just my take.

Cheers

There is no ILS or any other precision approach at SXM. However there is a Visual Approach Slope Indicator, VASI. You can see its red lights if you look down the runway. They are on each side of it.