Apollo

A quick outline of a recent A/E flight from DFW to SJT. Only the objective facts will be given. Looking forward to responses.

A strong front had just passed through and winds were gusting to 30kts. With the wind helping us down the taxiway, the Capt easily let the ATR get to 40. Landing at SJT (remember the wind is out of the NW and gusty) the crew elected to use the shorter rwy 03 instead of the main rwy 36. We came over the fence very fast and landed with a substantial side load. The aircraft was well off the centerline, the tires where screaming and the stench of burnt rubber was in the cabin. Even the flight attendant was nervously shaking it off.

I waited for the crew to have a chat. I asked why they decided to land with a slight tailwind. The FO said it wasn't a tailwind. The crew clearly didn't want to discuss it but said the wind was 320/20. I asked why rwy 36 wasn't used. The Capt said there wasn't a rwy 36. I said it's the main rwy at SJT. He then said that rwy 36 was closed. I called the tower; they said the rwy was just fine. They hurried off to the waiting van.

DublinFlyer

If I were the crew I would have not wanted to discuss it either. We all have bad landings from time to time and I don't particularly like talking about mine. Fortunately they are few and far between. I wonder if your inquisitive nature was inappropriate though at the time? Just a thought.

mooney

just to play devil's advocate, since I wasn't there, but you've never had a bad landing?
And if you did, would you really want a nonrev pilot in the back (or paying one for that matter) playing NTSB?

captain152

No offense to you at all here, but as a pilot would you really want someone coming up to you and asking you about why you chose to do what you did after the landing wasn't great? I can completely understand why they hurried off and got away from you. Maybe they wanted the crosswind practice on the shorter runway. I think your questioning the pilots after the flight was a bit inappropriate... just my two cents.

Apollo

Not looking for a fight at all. Just don't understand why they chose not to land on the rwy that they land on 90% of the time. The wind was favoring it. That's all.

Spooled

As far as I'm concerned you had no business calling the crew out. Since you were not up front, how do you know anything about the situation?

I guess your buttdyno is pretty good, being that you knew he was taxing 40, they were fast over the numbers, had a tailwind, and were off centerline. You must not even have to look at the instruments when you fly.

You my friend are an excellent back seat quarter back.

Apollo

OK. I can see that a substantive conversation is out of the question. Merry Christmas

captain152

To you as well my friend.

AmericanEagleFO

I guess the best substantive answer I could give you is this:
The only way to have your question answered is to talk to the crew. I'm not sure that right after the flight is the best way to do it, but I can't see any other way for you to talk to them. I think the best thing to do is just put it up to the idea that we may never know. Like you said, 90% of the landings were on the other runway, so there may be a good reason this was one of the 10%. Another thing, runway closures are common as you may know and it could have been getting checked for FOD. Also, the approach may have been notamed or temporarily closed. There are a million good reasons, probably the best one was that they were PIC and SIC so they were the only ones with the whole story T/O to landing so they have the final say. I would just write it off as a bad landing and maybe, "MAYBE" a bad chain of errors that got them on the ground just in time.

willflyforcash

well... best of luck trying to jumpseat again with that crew!

i say very inappropriate.