This one’s been circulating around the web for a week now. On May 31, a piston twin ran off the 2,100 foot runway in St. Barthelemy Airport (SBH) in the Carribean. What makes this video so interesting, aside from the surfer-dude commentary, is that the pilot opted not to go around even after floating for nearly three fourths of the runway.
When should you execute a go around? As one of my first flight instructors said: go missed anytime the approach does not look perfect. Seriously now, increase power and go around if there is any doubt in your mind as to the safety of your upcoming landing. Continue on to the video.
Chair fly this approach and tell me, at what point would you have chosen to add power and go around?
I love the commentary from the cameraman!
Looking at how close the threshold markings are (the thousand footers on either side of the runway) I’d say it’s a relatively short runway.
After passing the first set of thousand foot marks and noticing my airspeed was still considerably fast, that to me would have been grounds for a go-around.
-Jason
Yeah, I mean who says “that kinda blows” after a plane crash! I think I would have gone around right at the first 1000 foot marker (which look suspiciously closer to 500′ than 1000′).
I would’ve gone around at some point before crashing the airplane. Seriously though, this an excellent article and video, I don’t even have to add any instructional wisdom, the video says it all. I used to tell my students right before soloing them, “if you crash this plane I’m gonna kick your ass!” So if I were this guy’s instructor I would kick his ass.
I agree, before crashing is generally a good time to go around!
I think you have to have planned for this short field landing. It obviously is a complicated approach with the hill then the short runway that surely the pilot knew what he was getting into. Part of that thought process should be a plan that if you are not wheels down and braking in the first third of the runway you immediately execute the go-around.
Thanks for sharing the video. You seldom get such great video footage (well the commentary was not great) of something like this.
Yeah, you’d think. Maybe they were very low on fuel and couldn’t go missed, but that raises another question: why are you flying around without enough gas! *shrugs*
There are 3 other things interesting about this airport.
1) The ICAO for this airport is TFFJ the IATA code is SBH. So if your flying there commercially use SBH, if your the pilot tell your handler you are going to TFFJ.
2) In order to land there you have to have a logbook endorsement from an instructor who is approved the French Civil Aviation. Which begs the question, was this guy endorsed or even better was there an instructor with him?
3) The beach at the end of that runway is topless! (I saved the best for last)
Maybe he thought the best way to impress the ladies was to show off the airplane on the beach?
The question of go around should have come up BEFORE the pilot crested the hill. He/she was way too high then, wich translated to the same on short final and floating halfway down the runway.
This pilot has either a large ego or exhibits extremely poor judgement – either one should be left for those to fly from their computer with a joystick.
Were there any serious injuries sustained by passengers aboard the plane?
I don’t know, I’ve never seen a report on the accident. If someone finds out, please post the details here, I’d love to know.