WestJet 737 making waves at TNCM

[KL-666]

This week a WestJet got themselves pretty low before the runway at TNCM.


Image from this article: http://christinenegroni.com/westjet-denies-close-call-caught-camera-st-maarten/

The airport has no ils and visibility was low at higher altitudes. So i suppose that when they saw something, they realized they were low early. Most standard procedures prescribe to be on a stable descent below 1000 ft, else make a go around. So the pilots did when they realized they were not where they thought they were.

Not much of an incident, just a normal go around, except for having been pretty low. On the water you can see a wake trail after the plane. I wonder what that is: down wash from the wing with flaps extended or jet blast form the engines spooling up for go around? In the video below, you can estimate their altitude as about one wing length. That is about 100 ft.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNhAYKM-7LQ

The most interesting approach video i ever saw of TNCM, among the otherwise boring videos of the most overrated airport in terms of having a challenging approach.

Kind regards, Vincent

[IAHM-COL]

makes me think of

[jwocky]

I suspect, it's Mr. Newton riding the ground effect. So low, the plane gets more lift from the ground effect (effectively riding on an air cushion) and what you see on the water is the re-action to that force. If she would be faster, really fast, like Loreley-fast, she would probably also rip water up in her wake, Hollywood-FX style . But for that, she would need about a 1000 knots more.

[HJ1an]

A combination of both ground effect and jet exhaust, probably. Visibility doesn't seem that bad, but looks like they took their time to go around..

-- honestly that would be me in FGFS. that buoy would be a temporary aircraft carrier.

[Octal450]

LOL