Perhaps circle to land.

 

This can and does happen, for no real good reason. Twice in one month, I had the Captain line up with the wrong runway. These seperate incidents happened at airports with parallel runways, and both happened because the flying pilot lined up with the runway they were expecting, not the runway we were assigned. At around 5 miles out on a visual approach, the non-flying pilot often has his eyes inside, either running the landing checklist or switching to tower frequency, or just verifying the picture inside. On both occasions I noticed the error around 5 out, at the point when we were rolling out onto final from base or modified base leg. I called the error, the captain corrected, and CRM saved our certificates once again. And likely something very similar happened in the situation given. Only reason I can think that such an event would be such a big deal is if they lined up on final for a runway that was also being used for landings, in which case there would have been a potential or real loss of seperation with anoth arriving aircraft.

In short, it happens. We all miss at some point. This is why there are two sets of eyes up front.

 

Oh, and in case I didn't say it, it was probably Mesa or GoJet's fault

 

"I think anytime something like this happens it is a cause for concern, although I don't think it was anywhere near the danger of what happened in Lexington (Ky.)," Miller said.


Please the IOE captain was just being a good CFI....... (waiting for the student to catch his or her error) Somebody posted it earlier why is this even news! Captains & FO's catch stuff everyday and getrdone. Just my two cents Oh yeah of course it's mesa's or go jets fault.

 

Usually approaching an uncontrolled field (in the CRJ), I would fly to about 3.5 miles before "entering the pattern". Personally, I like to keep things fast until this point, and have no problem with speed around 230-250 depending on the pattern to be flown.

I'd plan on entering the pattern about 2500' AGL, 210 knots and turning downwind. Flaps to 8, then 20, gear down will slow things down quick, start your descent, turn for the runway (I'd often fly direct to the 2 mile final), flaps 30 and 45.

Rollout on speed, on glideslope right at 500' AGL (which was my company's minimum for stabilized visuals). No problem.

If you know how to manage the plane and the airspeed, 4 miles out and unconfigured (even on final) isn't a big deal as long as you aren't trying to descend and slow at the same time. Heck- in the CRJ I've done 250 to the marker before on the straight in. It's not the most comfortable, but can be done if the crew knows what they're doing.

I'm guessing the controller freaked a bit early.

 

GoJets, funded under the table by J.O., used a mind control device to lead the pilots to the wrong runway.

 

See i knew that it could be cut close, I just figured 4miles out would give you time to run through everything and have plenty of time for errors.

I'm still at odds on this one

 

Yes, it can be done that way... but aren't we all paid by the hour? Why are you running her on the ragged edge, making your pax a bit uneasy, and just barely meeting MINIMUM requirements, all in the name of getting on the ground a minute earlier? Just slow it down, lest you end up making a CAL-esque mistake and set her down on the parallel taxiway becuase you thought rolling onto final at 500' is fun. Have I done 250 to the marker before? Sure, in the sim. In the real world, I would never to 250 to the marker unless there was an emeregency. And ATC spacing is not my emergency. I know that kinda flying can be fun, but do it when you are alone up there. You got people in the back who are paying for a safe ride, not one where the pilots are screwing around for fun. That is part of being a professional aviator. You have to know what your job is, and who you are flying for.

 

RSB,

You telling me that you've never flown a tight approach on the last leg home or when running behind (like this crew was doing?). I agree that it's not normal to run 250 to the marker (I simply stated it could and has been done.)

It's not uncommon in the CRJ to run 180-200 on the downwind, 160 on the base and 140 on final. Nor is it uncommon to turn 2-3 mile final. I'm simply stating that 4 miles out isn't exactly a point where I would be too concerned with a crew "lining up on the wrong runway," particularly at an uncontrolled field when they have been cleared for the visual.

 

Not that i am trying to gang up on ya here, but I think it is always easier on the passengers/crew to just slow it down a bit.