Tegucigalpa- almost went off the end...ex USAirways?

[LGA777]

Most of us have seen video's of the very difficult landings at TGU, Tegucigalpa, Honduras with it's very short 6132 foot long runway with steep drop off's at the end.

Well here is a wild landing of former US 737-301 N501UW now operated by the US Dept of Justice, I can't believe this crazy SOB did not go around.

If you have never seen a video of a TGU landing watch the infamous second video on this thread first of an AA 757 making a routine (by TGU standards) landing so you can see how it's supposed to be done.

N501UW

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Photo's from same day of 501UW.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/msvideopro/3264321854/


Normal AA 757 Landing for comparison.

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Cheers

LGA777

[PhilDernerJr]

Wow. I hope that guy doesn't keep his job. Looks like very poor decision-making to me.

[Matt Molnar]

Seeing him touch down so far down the runway is a bit odd, but I think that angle made it look scarier than it actually was. He was able to turn off before the end, and past the piano keys there are a couple hundred extra feet of room which he obviously didn't use. Check out the satellite photo: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... iwloc=addr (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=tgu&ie=UTF8&ll=14.069211,-87.21393&spn=0.003549,0.004828&t=h&z=18&iwloc=addr)

[cancidas]

i wonder if he broke the knob on the autobrake switch. definately an "OH ****!" moment. to me it sounded like he spooled up the engines a bit when turning base to final, that could have given him the extra speed that caused him to float. me, i would have went around. you're not commited to a landing until the weight-on-wheel sensor pushed your spoilers up.

[moose135]

I think after getting through that turning, just-over-the-hills approach, you don't want to go around and have to try again!

[DHG750R]

It certainly looked like he was going off the end , would have been a sad ending to the old bird not to mention those onboard. I would have not wanted to go near those brakes for a while after he parked..

[cancidas]

I think after getting through that turning, just-over-the-hills approach, you don't want to go around and have to try again!
i would've! might just go around to do it again for the hell of it...

[moose135]

i would've! might just go around to do it again for the hell of it...
But you fly helicopters - they have clearly rattled your brains! :D

[cancidas]

But you fly helicopters - they have clearly rattled your brains! :D
you say that as if it were a bad thing...

[727C47]

Landed there with the 727 back in '02, it was interesting to say the least,probably the most challenging airport out there.

[Delta777LR]

There was a video I saw of a Finnair 757 l landing in Portugal near the far end of the runway.. That 737 was wild though