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The Best and the Worst
There are some landings that a pilot will never forget. Both of these were memorable and in my mind the best and the worst I have seen in my career. First up was Miami on beautiful clear night. We were set up on 9R. I had asked the Tower if there was anybody behind us. Tower says: “no you’re the only one around – use it all.” Our gates are off the end of the 13,000’ runway, and there is 10 knots of headwind. I’m in a 727 and moderately heavy. This is a recipe for perfection. The airplane rolled onto the runway as smooth as silk. One of those where you are tempted to get on the PA and explain to the folks that we really have landed and welcome to Miami. Ironically the touchdown was not what really made it great. With this much concrete to use, I only gently deployed the speedbrakes but never even went into idle reverse. I kept my feet ready for the brakes but did not touch them as we coasted down to a slow taxi speed near the end. I turned off and continued to the gate only lightly touching the brakes at the very end. It was wonderful. The other side of the coin was an equally pretty night in Ashville, NC. Virtually identical conditions except that this is Ashville in the Mountains. Sometimes there are squirrely wind conditions and the runway is 8000’ long. Anyway things were shaping up once again to be perfect. I was in the flare, and I was already predicting the atta-boys that I would get. Should have remembered, this is a 727. My timing was just a little off. I may have caught a small gust, or it may have just been me. Either way, the airplane got about 2 feet off the ground and stopped flying. I hit so hard that it didn’t even bounce but did shake my fillings loose. I stood at the door and got all the expected ribbing from the passengers and Flight Attendants. I had dropped five rows of oxygen masks – probably not a record but humbling. Didn’t know if this qualified but figured if there was ever a landing that crossed the line, this may have been it. I made the difficult maintenance write-up – Hard Landing. Ironically I have looked through the history of every airplane I’ve ever been on as a Captain, and this was the only time I’ve ever seen it written up. The really fun part was the phone call to Maintenance Control. They had to crank up a King-Air and come down from Winston-Salem to inspect the airplane and sign it off. They were thrilled.
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Piedmont Airlines - B-727 Captain - Early 90's
| 5/12/2004
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