Mesa near miss at LAX

[hp_fa]

Even closer than the Southwest/Asiana close call a couple of years ago. Of course, that was also on 24L. What is it with that runway? The NTSB website had an awesome computer animation of that mishap. Don't know if it's still there.

Both inner runways (closest to the terminal complex) are the longer runways, so they use them for departures since longer runways make for safer departures by giving much more room for an abortive takeoff and subsequent stop. However, IMO the longer runways should have been built as the outer runways so that departing traffic only would need to cross at the respective heads of the landing runway, not midfield as a landing aircraft is likely to do. If they landed on the inner runways landing traffic would turn off and only need to be worried about taxiing traffic rather then potential take-off traffic also.

You can see the airport diagram here. Click the diagram to enlarge it.

 

[rjh]

Both inner runways (closest to the terminal complex) are the longer runways, so they use them for departures since longer runways make for safer departures by giving much more room for an abortive takeoff and subsequent stop. However, IMO the longer runways should have been built as the outer runways so that departing traffic only would need to cross at the respective heads of the landing runway, not midfield as a landing aircraft is likely to do. If they landed on the inner runways landing traffic would turn off and only need to be worried about taxiing traffic rather then potential take-off traffic also.

You can see the airport diagram here. Click the diagram to enlarge it.

Using the outer runways for arrivals helps keep the arrival rate higher, especially in IMC conditions. ATC is requied to keep a minimum separation betwen aircraft, either laterlly or diagonally. By increasing the lateral distance (with runways farther apart), aircraft landing on parallel runways can do so simultaneously, or fairly close to it.

You would think that, with both Mesa and AWA being based in PHX, the AZ Republic would know better.

The article was actually written by the LA times, but yeah--a good editor here should have caught the mistake and added some sort of paragraph to that effect. But then again, the media isn't always that worried about getting details like that straightened out.

 

[SegmentKing]

Anyone know what happened seven years ago?

Isn't that when the USAir 737-300 from Columbus landed on top of a Skywest Metroliner?

 

[Kev3188]

That was in 1991...

More info here.

 

[john john]

Having said that, I would still rather fly with experienced pilots rather than a 2500 hour Captain and 400 hour First Officer

Only if the flying public knew

 

[flyingcat]

And that, boys and girls, is why you don't outsource work where a bad decision by a non-employee can cause you plenty of PR problems because the public won't know the difference between an America West pilot and a pilot working for someone that is doing business as America West.

Murphy:

He will likely have to fully explain it to the FAA. They can do anything from nothing to pulling his license.

I would not throw stones in glass houses if it had been an HP pilot many would think he was drinking too. 🙄

Sometimes I just cant help myself. 🙂

 

[hp_fa]

I would not throw stones in glass houses if it had been an HP pilot many would think he was drinking too. 🙄

Sometimes I just cant help myself. 🙂

The difference is that when your own employees get you bad headlines you rightfully get all the heat directed at you. However, when it is not your own employees and you have no meaningful way to control and evaluate the employees of the outsourced company (other then by possibly having copies of licenses, medicals and proof of minimum time requirements) then you get slammed for something you had no control over and likely would not have occurred to HP had HP not outsourced.

 

[sharktooth]

Of course the story never mentions Mesa airlines. They only refer to the America West pilot. Also heard the same story on KTAR Radio--also refering to the America West pilot.

This is what happens when one "out-sources", one tends to lose control of the product.

The executives chortle with glee over "projected" revenue to cost ratios, I wonder if they ever thought about downside costs (for instance what happened here)? Maybe they figure it will never happen, which would explain why they seem so surprised when it does.

Perhaps had they more experience than a 200 hour copilot/1500 hour pilot in a cockpit, "confusion" would have been resolved before movement.

Good thing it was a relatively "light aircraft" as a 747 would not have had enough excess energy to successfully complete such an avoidance maneuver. That would have really been a mess for USAirways/A&W.

 

[john john]

you get slammed for something you had no control over and likely would not have occurred to HP had HP not outsourced.

This happens every day the passengers don’t know or care about some express carriers problems that just want to get to their destination O.T. with there bags with out a hassle