Originally Posted by Pontius Pilot

Being an ATR FO based at DFW and having flown into SJT numerous times let me answer your curiosities.

First of all, if the wind wasn't within the limits of our ops manual or the aircraft then we would not use it, it's as simple as that.

Secondly, the ATR is notoriously difficult to land, even in the best of conditions. I call it the 'great equalizer'. I've seen people with 5,000 hours in the plane give everybody a good old time during landing. The plane has a mind of its own when it comes to that, and getting a good landing, especially in windy conditions, is not our primary concern - we've been taught to fly it firmly into the ground. You do not want to bounce that plane under those conditions.

Third, the ATR very seldom stays on the centerline during a landing, and we don't tend to fight it. Reasons? 1. Props don't always reverse at the exact same time or to the same pitch or with the same amount of torque. 2. The brakes are fickle and grabby, often causing drift (which is more likely what caused the 'burning rubber smell'. We can stop that plane on a dime with reverse and hardly even touching the brakes, so I doubt anyone was standing on them. Also anti-skid will keep the wheels turning, so you're not going to get any burning rubber smell - other than the tiny bit of rubber that burns off when a wheel going 0 kts suddenly accelerates to 110 kts.

So what you experienced was nothing more than the usual gusty wind performance of an ATR and nothing out of the ordinary. I've seen this happen in the 757, MD80, 737, 777, 747 and about a dozen other aircraft. I defy you to do better, especially with the way the ATR lands.

Unless your practising for a job with the FAA, it would behoove you to drop things like this and forget about them. Its going to get you in trouble and it is inapropiate, extremely unprofessional. Questioning the crews judgement? Calling the tower? You weren't in the cockpit making the decisions or seeing what was going on, just a lowly pax sitting in the back - no frame of reference as to the situation.

Had you questioned me about such a thing, you would not have liked my response...and it would have followed with me asking you to leave my aircraft/the ramp/etc. and then having the gate agent put a note in the computer system with you name and the details of the event. You have no right to question the flight crew over something so ridiculous. I'm surprised you didn't try to call the chief pilot as well.