Originally Posted by Larry in TN

In the early 1990s I flew for American Eagle. The base chief pilot showed me a complaint letter that had been received from a passenger who was a student pilot. The Saab 340 flight had diverted to an alternate due to low visibility at the destination. Some of the points that he made...

1. The crew wasn't following checklists. They didn't even do a mag-check prior to takeoff.

2. The crew was flying too low. His altimeter-watch showed they cruised at less than 6,000'.

3. The crew waiting until only 200' above the runway (his estimate looking straight down at the runway lights during the miss) before deciding whether or not to land. He thought the FAA would take a very dim view of a crew waiting until 200' before deciding whether or not to land.

4. The crew immediately raised the gear after starting the go-around indicating that they never had any intention of landing at the destination. If they had intended to land there then they would have left the gear down for a second approach.

5. The crew picked an inconvenient alternate. He suggested a closer airport which would have been more convenient for the passengers.