FAA MAINT INSPECTOR BELIEVES THAT THE CAPT OF A B737-200 USED POOR JUDGEMENT IN CONTINUING TO LAND AFTER BREAKING OUT OF LOW CEILING SLIGHTLY L OF RWY CTRLINE.

Date: 1999-02 · Aircraft: B727-200

Synopsis

FAA MAINT INSPECTOR BELIEVES THAT THE CAPT OF A B737-200 USED POOR JUDGEMENT IN CONTINUING TO LAND AFTER BREAKING OUT OF LOW CEILING SLIGHTLY L OF RWY CTRLINE.

Narrative

UPON BEING CLRED FOR APCH AND LNDG MCO RWY 36R; IT WAS RPTED TO ME 2 DAYS LATER THAT FAA INSPECTOR HAD WRITTEN A RPT SAYING THAT HE THOUGHT THAT AT 200 FT AGL; I WAS TOO FAR L OF CTRLINE TO LAND SAFELY. PERHAPS; BEING A MAINT INSPECTOR (AND NOT A PLT TYPE); HE WAS OVERWHELMED WITH WHAT A LOW APCH TO MINIMUMS AND THEN LNDG OUT OF IT LOOKS LIKE. MY COPLT CALLED 'RABBIT' AT 200 FT AGL AND THEN 'RWY TO THE R.' I WENT VISUAL WHEN I SAW END OF RWY LIGHTS (TERMINATING BAR); CTRLINE LIGHTS AND RWY LIGHTS (IE; RWY ENVIRONMENT). I SAID 'IN SIGHT; LNDG.' I CORRECTED WITH APPROX 5 DEGS BANK AND WHATEVER REQUIRED RUDDER TO LAND APPROX 1000 FT DOWN THE RWY ON CTRLINE. THE LNDG WAS A VERY SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN AND; WITH MINIMUM REVERSING/BRAKING; TURNOFF WAS ACCOMPLISHED TO THE R AT B6. COMMENTS WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE WERE NIL BUT HE DID SAY; 'AS MY SON WOULD SAY; THAT WAS COOL.' AS A RESULT OF VERBAL RPT 2 DAYS AFTER THE FACT; MY CHIEF PLT PULLED ME OFF MY AFTERNOON FLT AND HAS SCHEDULED ME TO FLY MY MORNING TRIP WITH COMPANY CHK AIRMAN. MY FEELINGS ARE THIS: I DO NOT FEEL THAT I CAN POSSIBLY BE TOO FAR L OF COURSE TO MAKE A SAFE LNDG IF AT 200 FT AGL ON GS I AM ABLE TO PUT THE AIRPLANE DOWN ON CTRLINE 1000 FT DOWN THE RWY. IF IT WAS AS FAR L AS HE SAYS AT 200 FT AGL ON GS; I WOULDN'T EVEN SEE THE RWY; SAY NOTHING MAKE A SMOOTH LNDG IN TOUCHDOWN ZONE. I FEEL I WAS MISTREATED AND AFTER 36+ YRS OF FLYING I KNOW THAT WHEN I SEE A RWY VISUALLY; IT IS MY JOB TO MAKE A SAFE LNDG ON IT! THAT'S WHAT I DID! HAVING WRITTEN THE FIRST PAGE OF THIS RPT ON FEB/XA/99 (THE DATE THAT IT WAS VERBALLY RPTED TO ME THAT A 'MAINT TYPE' FAA INSPECTOR WAS QUESTIONING MY JUDGEMENT ABOUT LNDG MY AIRPLANE) I AM NOW AT HOME RE-THINKING WHAT A 'LOUSY HAND I WAS DEALT.' IT IS A SORRY DAY WHEN THE FAA'S BUDGET DOES NOT ALLOW ENOUGH ROOM IN IT TO PURCHASE A TICKET FOR A 'MAINT TYPE' INSPECTOR. HE SHOULD RIDE IN THE PAX COMPARTMENT. A MAINT INSPECTOR HAS NO BUSINESS RIDING ON MY JUMP SEAT UNLESS HE IS A QUALIFIED AND CURRENT PLT. ON FEB/XA/99; I WAS FORCED TO PROVE MYSELF QUALIFIED BY HAVING TO FLY TWO LEGS WITH COMPANY CHECK AIRMAN AND TWO LEGS WITH FAA 'PLT' INSPECTOR. I RECEIVED A 'CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH' AS A PIC FROM BOTH; HOWEVER; TO BE PULLED OFF MY SCHEDULED FLTS ON FEB/XA/99 IN FRONT OF MY PEERS WAS A HUMILIATING AND HUMBLING EXPERIENCE FOR ME AND MY CO-PLT. AFTER 36+ YEARS AND 20;000 HRS (IE: OVER 2 YRS AND 8 MONTHS IN AN AIRPLANE SEAT IN THE AIR) I WAS 'WRITTEN UP' BY AN INDIVIDUAL WHO DOESN'T HAVE ONE HOUR AS A PLT. TO SUMMARIZE -- MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE THIS: TELL THE FAA TO KEEP THEIR MAINT PEOPLE OFF OF OUR FAR 121 JUMPSEAT UNLESS THEY ARE THERE TO EVALUATE SOME SYSTEM ON THE AIRPLANE. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THEY HAVE NO BUSINESS BEING THERE TO EVALUATE ANYTHING TO DO WITH 'PLT PERFORMANCE.' I SUSPECT THAT; IN MY CASE; NO WRITTEN RPT WILL SURFACE. I ALSO SUSPECT THAT HE DOESN'T HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PLT PROC TO WRITE SUCH A RPT.

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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.