That looks to be a short runway for a 757, doesn't it?
Super hard landing
- Thread starter road_rascal
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That looks to be a short runway for a 757, doesn't it?
Skill issue.
I read you are supposed to fly the plane right down to the runway but maybe a more moderate rate of descent would be advised next time!
A little bit firm, and a bit of a crab, but right on centerline, and just past the numbers.
That is exactly how I would handle a short runway, in the mountains, in challenging winds.
That is a demonstration of a professional at work.
Landing well within the performance capabilities of the airplane while maximizing the safety margins in challenging conditions.
Looked it up. Toncontin Airport in Honduras. It's actually longer than SNA, but they have the mountains and a higher altitude.
New Airport Replaces Renowned Tegucigalpa Facility
simpleflying.com
Toncontin International Airport is ranked as one of the most complex airports to land in the world. It has a short runway of 2,163 meters, and upon landing, planes fly near mountains and residential neighborhoods while pilots execute a 45-degree turn.
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Does United fly there?
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I took a quick look online ( I do not have charts for this airport ) and it looks like 7096 feet long but the airport is 3300 above sea level too.
The problem was the hill on the final more than the runway length despite being shorter than normal ( LaGuardia in NYC is the same length ).
With the high elevation ( and hot ) and relatively short runway, not all aircraft could take off and do long flights due to weight.
I have operated in/out of 5700 runways on the Airbus BUT the plane was extremely light and a short sector ( due to pilot shortages at regional, we fly into smaller regional airports also lately ).
NO WAY an Airbus A321 could take off out of there with a full load and long flight.
Astro can tell you more, United might fly there.
Any landing you walk away from is a good landing.
I don’t believe we fly there. But I used to land in SNA all the time, and the 757 had no problem stopping on that runway.
The challenge in this kind of terrain, of course, is maintaining both a stabilized approach and a precise touchdown point.
The very first time that I landed in Eagle, Colorado, at 6,500’, surrounded by significant terrain, it was snowing. The runway has a slight downhill slope. We had 32,000# of fuel on board, enough for the return flight, and we were completely full with passengers. Not one empty seat, so with that fuel load, we were landing at max structural landing weight (and thereby avoiding both paying the fuel prices and waiting for the one working truck in Vail).
Flew the approach, smooth touchdown, moderate autobrakes.
I turned off at A5, nice and slow, with over 2,000 feet of runway remaining. That’s the 757 for you - handles high altitude with aplomb.
Looking at the apparent length of this runway, I think that American Pilot handled it perfectly.
Well….it is nice if the airplane can be flown again, too…
Not any more, if they ever did. Looks like they fly out of the newer airport that serves Tegucigalpa. It's like 50 miles from Tegucigalpa, but there probably wasn't any other place closer. Looks like a rather uncomplicated landing.
UA518 (UAL518) United Flight Tracking and History 25-Jul-2023 (KIAH-XPL / MHPR) - FlightAware
Track United (UA) #518 flight from Houston Bush Int'ctl to Comayagua Int'l
flightaware.com
We call that a "great" landing.
