I'm amazed there were no enthusiasts that caught this event on film, Angus Walker from ITN news has posted here requesting anybody with some footage of the event to contact him.
Interestingly I tried the same failure myself on Microsoft Flight Simulator (cut power completely with 500ft to go on the approach to 27L at Heathrow) and the result for me was identical to the incident. Without enough power to control your descent to hit the touchdown zone you have to trade off height to maintain speed and inevitably land short skidding to a halt somewhere near the touchdown end of the runway. Of course, the reality of that situation and the ability to remain calm and 'fly' the aircraft is a little different but then, what else can you do at 500ft?
It reminded me of the Kegworth incident all those years ago. That was a 'landing short' incident with much more tragic consequences as it came to a very abrupt halt on the western side of the M1 motorway embankment. It made me wonder if this had been at another airport that perhaps didn't have the same 'undershoot' area available, this might have been a similar tragedy, what do you think?
Interestingly I tried the same failure myself on Microsoft Flight Simulator (cut power completely with 500ft to go on the approach to 27L at Heathrow) and the result for me was identical to the incident. Without enough power to control your descent to hit the touchdown zone you have to trade off height to maintain speed and inevitably land short skidding to a halt somewhere near the touchdown end of the runway. Of course, the reality of that situation and the ability to remain calm and 'fly' the aircraft is a little different but then, what else can you do at 500ft?
It reminded me of the Kegworth incident all those years ago. That was a 'landing short' incident with much more tragic consequences as it came to a very abrupt halt on the western side of the M1 motorway embankment. It made me wonder if this had been at another airport that perhaps didn't have the same 'undershoot' area available, this might have been a similar tragedy, what do you think?
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