This accident began at 34,000 feet when the crew was late beginning their descent. At one point, they were descending at over 7,000 feet per minute trying to get down to the proper altitude. The crew on the same flight 5 days earlier was also late in beginning their descent and had to descend at over 5,000 feet per minute.
Unbelievable incompetence of flight crew. Way high and fast, no attempt to obtain a stabilized approach with a missed approach, Gear up landing, not notifying ATC that a gear up landing was imminent (assuming they were even aware), landing mid-field, gear up, then going around. What kind of training do these airlines have?
Were they drunk?
Some years ago, as an ATC kind of guy, I transfered to the FAA’s Southwest Region. Arriving and beginning check out in the facility control tower, I discovered that the SW Region had a mandatory requirement for controllers that with every landing clearance issued they advice the pilot to “check wheels down, cleared to land”. No exception…Cessna 150s also…everyone. Of course many would reply, “gear down and welded.” Turns out, this requirement was because the Regional director, who owned a Piper Arrow with the auto extend gear had somehow landed it twice gear up. ( I think if you’re going to fast it won’t do it’s auto extend. ) Like the Pakistanis, the Director said if the controllers had told him, it would not have happened. I can think of other reasons though.
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There’s a lot of irony lurking in that comment…
Many years ago when I owned my first plane (a FG Beechcraft), I had it based at Houston’s Hobby airport. Probably 90+ percent of the traffic was either corporate jets or Southwest Airlines 737s. All of the tower controllers would say “Check gear down, cleared to land”. I heard it so often that I still think that phrase in my mind whenever I hear any tower guy clear me to land. I have often wondered it anyone has done a study to see if controllers reminding aircraft to check their gear would lessen the incidence of gear up landings. It seems like a good idea, but considering the number of people I know who have ignored their plane’s blaring gear horn and bellyed in, I tend to doubt it.
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Maybe. At least some thought so I guess. During my USAF ATC tower days, “report wheels down, cleared to land” was mandatory for us. At my pilot training command base, RSU units were staffed at the approach end of each runway during training hours. They were required to do gear checks on each landing aircraft. I visited a Navy tower once, Cubi Point. Their tower phrase was after an aircraft reported initial, “report the one eighty, report wheels down, no wheel watch on station.” It was weekend and slow traffic. I guess when busy, they had a wheel watch person out at the runway also. And, when I was checking out in a USAF Aero Club T-34, the Major checking me out required that I say out loud as we turned final, “final, final gear check, gear down.” I still use that old habit today. But then there is the adage, “there are those who have and those who will.”
U.S. pilots vs foreign - hmmm (of course not ALL U.S pilots are not perfect)
How about the 2 foreign crewed 737 max crashes.
Many stab problems existed with AA, SWA, etc, but all easily handled.
They certainly weren’t flying the airplane. That plane won’t, I believe, drop the gear until the approach speed is down to a safe value. So whomever touched the gear lever didn’t see three green. Just one of a comedy of errors.
Yes. More detail in this story: http://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/pakistan-international-report-unstabilized-approach-poor-communication/
Regardless of the Airline, the Pakistan Transport Minister comments calls for immediate suspension and further evaluation of all Paki crew members.
Bastards !!!