Did you see the crab angle? I wonder what the winds were? Do they have limits that they aren't allowed to execute an approach if the limits are exceeded? I seem to remember they do on an instrument approach, but I don't know about landing limits.

It is tough for me to believe that pilots choose to try and land a commercial airliner under those conditions. Is that the airport's only runway? Is that the only airport around that can handle them? Do they have that little fuel? If so, then those guys really have much more limited options than I thought. Those are really tight shoes they are wearing!

That almost resembles my standard cross wind landing

mr scout wrote:That almost resembles my standard cross wind landing

It resembles my calm wind landings.

Isn't that how the clipped wing Piper group got started

hello

Yes, these aircraft do have maximum crosswind limitations. This wind apparently was changing quickly. The crosswind componant was probably less than the maximum when the approach was started and changed during the final part. The large jets do handle crosswinds better than do our light taildraggers. He walked away and the plane was flyable.

flyer

You know you're fighting a severe crosswind when you're tracking the runway centerline OUT YOUR SIDE WINDOW.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We'll be utilizing that winglet device on the left side of the aircraft as a kickstand on this arrival. Have a nice day and thankyou for flying Sideslip Airlines"

Heres some proof that the big boys can really pull off some amazing landings, i would say that the crosswind has to be at least 40.

http://www.alexisparkinn.com/photogalle ... d_edit.wmv

Heres some proof that the big boys can really pull off some amazing landings, i would say that the crosswind has to be at least 40.

That is amazing footage! That has got to be tough on the tires and gear landing sideways! I wonder what is left of the tire tread after landing like that?

patrol guy wrote:...that looked a lot like my landing today, only I didn't go around.
I flew pipeline to Dayton and back. Winds at Wright Patterson were 22, gusting to 28. On a short 4 mile spur I was doing 145 ground speed until I turned back and was showing 75, all that at 500 AGL or less.

About 20 mi. south in Wilmington our peak gust was somewhere around 35+kts. I had to lock the front door on my building because it wouldn't stay closed! On top of that, we were OVC005 after about 1500, and it was getting pretty dark pretty fast. The good part is it was a nice 68F yesterday. How much rain did you get at the farm last night?

It looked to me like he took his right wing low ( Bank angle ) out when he straightened the plane to the runway. It looked like at that time the wind got under the wing and tipped him to the left and put that left wing into the runway. He needed to keep his right wing low.

Holy crap, batman! If I'd been on that flight, I'da waited at the gate later & punched the pilot in the nose for scaring the shit outa me!

That is like the flight where the little 80 year old lady asked the captain, as she was departing his plane. "Did we land or were we shot down, sonny?"

skybob, I don't think he took the right wing down out, I think he failed to put additional aileron in when he kicked the crab out with rudder. On an aircraft with swept wings as the nose swings around the relative wind and thus lift increases on one wing and decreases on the other. On the airplane I fly for work (DC8-73, do to the engine pods max bank angle is limited to 6 degrees) we carry the crab right to the flare, waiting until just before touch down, then kick out the crab at the same time applying opposite aileron, touching down before a drift can develop. With a 25 knot crosswind and a touch down speed of around 140-150 if you are aggressive with the rudder it will require half of available aileron to hold the wings level. This is from a stable crab angle with aileron neutral and wings level. Cross wind landings are easier when heavy than when light as when empty we approach at 118 kts. and the crab angle is larger. In gusty winds it is almost more fun than you can stand.

Tim

Tim, Thanks for that explaination. I was just looking at the video and trying to read something into it.
You saying It is almost more fun than you can stand. Reminds me of the joke: Like the monkey making love to a skunk. He had enjoyed all of it he could stand. Bob