Air Traffic Control: "Rough" Emergency Landing at JFK

On May 4th, 2010, an American Airlines Boeing 767-200 approaching runway 22L at JFK opts to abort its approach due to high crosswind and low fuel which would make a go-around dangerous. A misunderstanding between the pilots declaring emergency and the air traffic controller is solved by the plane's crew in assertive fashion. This situation reminds me of the one Avianca 52 must have faced in 1990, also at JFK. Had Avianca's pilots been as assertive many lives might have been saved. Kudos to the American Airlines crew.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• emergency
• landing
• JFK
• American
• Airlines
• fuel
• mayday
• boeing
• 767
• ATC
• air
• traffic
• control

[txfirefighter4305]

Pilot is ultimately at fault for failing to recognize the fuel emergency earlier and landing at an alternate, No matter the cause of the "low fuel" problem...he should have landed at the nearest facility rather than pushing for his destination. He also never gave a nature of the emergency. I would like to hear the rest of the tape.

[alaricdogface]

Didn't want to land in the river like Sullenberger.

[33minnesotatwins]

Don't quote me on this but I think the problem is that those crosswinds were over the safe limit of the boeing 767. if they didnt get Rwy 31L, they would have attempted an unessasary unsafe landing and that could have caused a go around which would be bad if they were low on fuel.

[daspidrr]

People! don't go and make your own opinion... You have to look at all the evidence, and clearly this means to check the whole route audio and the airplane's situation.... Maybe he did stated before he was running low on fuel (which it shouldn't be mistaken by declaring an emergency, aka MAYDAY) this is just and advisory that any other delay may lead to an emergency situation (which would be just the amount of fuel to divert). Whenever I look at the whole scenario I would give my OPINION.

[txfirefighter4305]

@MORRIS153 Can you link us to this info?

[ylen13]

@cptnbennett Screw faa regulations. My airport , my rules.

[mattwright16]

@txfirefighter4305 It's obvious that with your response, i can tell you aren't an airline pilot. If you are, you should know better. First off, he's already on approach. Divert to where? When he's already committed? Also, winds 320/23G35? that is a direct crosswind. Most aircraft can't even land in those crosswinds. And you are talking about the pilot being at fault?!

[cptnbennett]

@ylen13 As a pilot, if you declare an emergency, you can ignore all FAA regulations and any air traffic control instruction to meet the necessities of the emergency.

[plane63]

Let's look at it from both sides. You're the pilot... you've got over 200 souls aboard your aircraft and perhaps are the victim of bad fuel planning. Okay. You're human, you make mistakes. Now what? Divert? If we divert we may not have enough fuel to do a go around. Or do we declare emergency and land JFK? As a pilot myself I would choose JFK. You're the controller... you've got countless arrivals sequenced and lined up. This would cause a moderate delay for a few flights. What's your opinion?

[ylen13]

If i was that controller I would have told that pilot negative you are not cleared to land, end of discussion. 

[699backstab]

MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY is unmistakeable. It was never spoken. Pilots too cool to speak like pilots. Crew failure.