RoseFlyer From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 8746 posts, RR: 52 Reply 4, posted (5 years 5 months 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 36103 times:
Queenstown New Zealand has a difficult approach. It hasn't been that long that 737s and A320s have been flying there. It used to only be props.
Quoting Loalq (Reply 3): Amazing you noted that! I have flown many time to LCY and never felt like it was that uncommon...
As a passenger you might not notice, but pilots will. The glide slope at LCY is 5.5 degrees. Normal airports are 3 degrees. So you are coming in at almost twice the vertical speed. It makes it more difficult especially if a go around has to happen.
If you have never designed an airplane part before, let the real designers do the work!
LTU932 From Germany, joined Jan 2006, 13864 posts, RR: 51 Reply 6, posted (5 years 5 months 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 36120 times:
Add TGU to the list. Not only is it full of obstacles, it's a visual approach full of obstacles, where you fly basically close to the ground when making the final turn and land on a short runway, almost Kai Tak style.
AlitaliaMD11 From Spain, joined Dec 2003, 4068 posts, RR: 15 Reply 7, posted (5 years 5 months 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 35923 times:
The two most "heart thumping" approaches that I have flown have been while flying into CUZ (Cusco, Peru) and DOM (Melvin Hall, Dominica.) Both involve coming down through some hills and some very steep turns.
FXramper From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 7027 posts, RR: 93 Reply 8, posted (5 years 5 months 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 35859 times:
Coronado990 From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 1590 posts, RR: 2 Reply 9, posted (5 years 5 months 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 35808 times:
Cloudyapple From Hong Kong, joined Jul 2005, 2425 posts, RR: 9 Reply 10, posted (5 years 5 months 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 35767 times:
Quoting BP1 (Reply 1): The angle of descent at London City Airport! That certainly is my vote. Along with Aspen, Eagle and Telluride, Colorado and the mountains.
Quoting RoseFlyer (Reply 4): As a passenger you might not notice, but pilots will. The glide slope at LCY is 5.5 degrees. Normal airports are 3 degrees. So you are coming in at almost twice the vertical speed. It makes it more difficult especially if a go around has to happen.
True but everything that goes on at LC has been properly considered and risk assessed. All aircraft that use LC are specially certified to make that 5.5deg descent. Only small and capable aircraft are allowed therefore descending at double the normal rate wouldn't be an argument. Pilots who come in to LC are well trained about the approach. If the approach was any dangerous, CAA/SRG wouldn't have approved it. I would consider it a more difficult approach but certainly not dangerous.
AirAmericaC46 From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 590 posts, RR: 1 Reply 13, posted (5 years 5 months 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 35464 times:
is there any list about the top 20 of most dangerous airports (approaches)??
There are no dangerous apps, since every approach chart is being studied carefully by every pilot...... dangerous is flying into countries that have no securities standards such as Colombia.....AA crashed cuz pilots typed the rong NDB, this was the main couse, but what kind of countries have no radar ?
Eghansen From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 15, posted (5 years 5 months 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 35349 times:
I believe that Congonhas is considered a very bad approach (though I admit I have not flown there). It has very short runways, is surrounded by dense populations and high rises on all sides. That is why they had a terrific accident there a few months ago.
MATURRO727 From Colombia, joined Apr 2004, 297 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (5 years 5 months 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 35063 times:
Quoting PU752 (Reply 14): There are no dangerous apps, since every approach chart is being studied carefully by every pilot...... dangerous is flying into countries that have no securities standards such as Colombia.....AA crashed cuz pilots typed the rong NDB, this was the main couse, but what kind of countries have no radar ?
thats not completely true, AA's accident in CLO had lots of key factors, and yes, by that time we didn't have the most advanced technology. Many factors played a role that night and one of the biggest mistakes were because the crew punched the R.(Romeo) NDB 274 which is an external marker from both runways at BOG, and that was purely human error because when they felt that they were kind of confused, and that definately something was wrong(a night approach with high mountains)what they should have done was to climb to an object clearance altitude. And lets not forget that pilots that are unfamiliar with the airport/approach procedures must check twice in order that everything is working just fine. for example when the capt. at that AA flight punched the R key at his FMC, the display showed a list of NDB's that had the same letter but obviously not the same frequency in the ADF system, what the Capt should have done was to corroborate that the info in his charts matched correctly with the info shown in his FMC to know exactly which one was the correct.
Now i'm not sure if by that time CLO airport had a NDB named with the R letter(now days it doesn't), if so the crew defenetly had to do what is mencioned avbove, if not they were very very confused by that time. Anyway R.I.P for all who die that night.
Now getting back into the topic, i know that MZL or SKMZ (Manizales) is one of the most challenging approches in the world, low visibility, sourrounded by mountains and only VFR, that one defenetly need's to be on that list. And maybe EOH is also very difficult.
Midex461 From United States of America, joined Feb 2000, 276 posts, RR: 1 Reply 19, posted (5 years 5 months 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 34624 times:
It may not be one of the most dangerous, but the most hair-raising approach I've ever been through (as a passenger) was the Expressway Visual at LGA.
But what about DUT (Dutch Harbor, AK)?
Opinions and views expressed are MINE and do NOT represent the views of US Airways
HNLtrades118 From United States of America, joined Jul 2007, 44 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (5 years 5 months 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 34294 times:
I agree with KTM. Though I've never flown out there, it sounds crazy, descending like a maniac into the valley. I would also chalk up the circling approach at ADQ.
In regards to DUT, I think the runway length (3,900 feet) has more to do with the "danger" factor than the approach itself. Before AS discontinued their ANC-DUT flights, they routinely put the 737-200 on that runway. Crazy stuff.
That aside, these approaches make the channel visual at HNL look like a piece of cake!
~jon
"Do not wait for extraordinary circumstances to do good action; try to use ordinary situations." -Sam Rayburn
B747forever From United States of America, joined May 2007, 16575 posts, RR: 11 Reply 21, posted (5 years 5 months 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 33961 times:
Quoting PIA777 (Reply 16): I bet Katmandu must be hard in Nepal
That have to be one of the worst one. Flew in FS2004 from VIE to KTM, and it was almost impossible to land there, and the worst thing is that it was dark.
LHRjc From Netherlands, joined Apr 2006, 1961 posts, RR: 23 Reply 22, posted (5 years 5 months 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 33918 times:
KEYW in a PA28 when there's a 30kt gusting crosswind, a flock of Turkey Vultures circling on final, and being told to expedite approach as there's a CRJ behind you... Trust me, that felt pretty dangerous
"Our 319's are very reliable. They get fixed very quickly."
I second that one. Descent through a pretty narrow valley, then a hard right turn to land on a plateau on the mountain's side. Sheesh. Wonder if they'll ever see anything bigger than a Twotter...
Cheers
Mats
Sure, we're concerned for our lives. Just not as concerned as saving 9 bucks on a roundtrip to Ft. Myers.
25 SANFan: The approach to runway 27 at Lindbergh Field in San Diego is usually included as one of the more challenging in the US; the airport is virtually in th
26 Nzrich: The 737's have been flying in for ages but as you say it used to be all props but that was at least prior to 1987... The A320's have been operating s
27 A320ajm: What about airports like Basra in Iraq. I know the approach itself is not dangerous but there is a serious threat of getting blown out of the sky by a
28 Farzan: I am not a pilot so it's hard for me to determine what is dangerous or not, but as a passenger the following is pretty hair raising (and exiting). Rig
29 CV990: Hi! FNC until got extended used to be a very difficult airport to land, not only the runway was very short but also the factor that it was close to th
30 MAC26000: I would have to agree with FlyDeltaJet87, the approach to 19 requires alot of sharp turns. But what a view for the passengers.
31 BAW716: Honduras...you are speaking about TGU (Tegucigalpa). There is universal agreement amongst pilots that the approach to runway 02 at TGU is one of the
33 Gilesdavies: I don't know if the title "...Dangerous Airports" is a little misleading. Most the airports discussed in this thread, can only be flown by crew who ar
34 Ag92: I think I may know this one. As long as they are flying over the safe zone, they can slowly descend in circles to landing. For take-off anything belo
35 MadameConcorde: Kai Tak is now no more. I miss two elements in aviation. Kai Tak and Concorde. Very sad. I remember being told by a 747 captain while I was in the jum
36 Avianca: why that? as an Island should have the same approach like other island airports... or? Btw, how difficult is UIO, can remember that years ago a LH ca
37 Tb727: There are thousands of airports in the US that are not in radar coverage both in the mountains and in the plains in just about every state. Pretty mu
38 LXA340: TLV is also a problem, but there it is more due to the aircraft managment and not the physical reasons. there are various near misses various times a
39 SABE: Yes, that was the problem -- at the time the CLO NDB was named "RO" (for Rozo, a small town nearby) and had the same frequency as the BOG NDB named "
40 LongHauler: It is not tough, in fact, it (along with the Expressway Visual 31 at LGA) is the last bit of "fun" we get to have with passengers in the back Only be
41 Acabgd: The correct code is TIV. I would have to agree it is among the most difficult approaches in Europe. Futhermore, proximity of mountains to the shore m
42 ATCtower: Any of the mountainous airports in Colorado will be among the top in the US. As far as truely dangerous, GUC, ASE, and TEX are some of the worst I ha
43 Ytib: Does anyone know about Linzhi in Tibet? The design for the RNP approach looks interesting. http://www.naverus.com/images/Marketing_-_ZUNZ_Track_Exhibi
44 KL773ER: I would also vouch to say in this case, Chambéry/Aix-les-Bains Airport in France (CMF/LFLB). -KL
45 MadameConcorde: Approach and landing at Mahe Seychelles: picture of the landing strip: http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/photo464453.htm A landing at Mahe by a Air She
46 A300AA: I would say La Paz, Tegucigalpa, Manizales ( Colombia) , maybe Pereira due to a short run way, and Quito in Latin America.
47 Bmacleod: In 1991 on a episode of 20/20 a DL pilot said landing at LGA reminded him of his days as a Navy pilot landing on a carrier. In Canada we don't appear
48 Acabgd: Oh right! Vagar also seems to be quite dangerous. If I recall it's a rather short runway, offset and the weather - to say the least - leaves a lot to
49 FXramper: Lima, Peru and La Paz, Bolivia. Eagle, Colorado is a top 5 for AA. Orange County, California is also there. Merry Christmas!
50 Aussieindc: I personally love it coming into 19 at DCA. I'm always bummed out when the approach is from the south. There's just something about that final right
51 Bogota: In Colombia the landing into San Juan de Pasto near the southern border with Ecuador, is famous not only for its spectacular scenery but also the wind
52 Avianca: ya and then are guys arround that are saying DCA or LGA is difficult...?????????? Well defentely I have to go to Pasto
53 First Class: There is nothing like Vagar on the Faroe Island.
54 Jeffrey1970: What about CRW? The runway is short and is on the side of a mountain.
55 Threepoint: Plenty, including the most advanced ones. The presence or absence of radar should not be a particularly limiting factor in challenging approaches. Ac
56 SupraZachAir: Hold the phone, you're insinuating that FS doesn't equate to reality? I call BS...
57 GRZ-AIR: INN perhaps? Not dangerous, but challenging with "Foehn" wind conditions...
58 A380BWI: I would like to add to the list KDU (in the very remote areas of North Western Frontier Province of Pakistan and the last air stop before the trekkers
59 CL30: Try flying the full LDA Rwy 25 into EGE in a Lear 60 down to minimums...it's not that normal of an approach...believe me, I do it every season! You a
60 ZKSUJ: They've been doing that for quite a while now. And the old 146s use to go in there. Wellington is another one IF the winds pick up.
61 FlyDeltaJets87: Every Landing I make. Signed, US Navy Pilots. ^^HAHA Signed, US Air Force Pilots
62 Aero145: Add Isafjordur (IFJ / BIIS) to the list! As you see, you're flying really close to a mountain, and then you make a really hard left turn, and a steep
66 KcrwFlyer: Our approach isnt what it used to be since they've lowered some of the surrounding hills. There's still only 6,300 for landing though. I'd say its a
67 Boeing777228: I have sat jumpseat into TGU.....what a treat!!!!
68 Pagophilus: IFJ In Iceland. Especially landing on runway 26 with approach from the east. The airport is almost parallel with the fjord (read 1000m high wall of mo
69 SergioAEE: Samos, Greece Corfu, Greece Reggio di Callabria, Italy SergioAEE
70 LY777: Eilat airport (ETH) is dangerous, too. I was in Eilat last week, and when I saw a/c landing (especially IZ 753s and ISR A320s), I was always afrais th
71 RICARIZA: No security standards? Are you talking about 15 years ago or something? In Colombia we have hundreds of flights every day without problems and air tr
72 PU752: I was talking about AA flight crashed at Cali, their radar was destroyed by the famous guerrilla , and then no one did anything to rebuild a radar un
73 Alessandro: Vaeroya or Väröya (small hilly island in the Lofoten archepelago) in north Norway, airport closed for airplanes after downdraft tossed a plane to th
75 Remcor: I'd put Khorog, Tajikistan (UT1C) on the list for regular service. Perched high in a mountain valley next to the Afghan border, the plane comes extrem
76 Ncelhr: NCE is not "dangerous" per-se but challenging due to noise restrictions, so complex flight paths (eg. Riviera approach) are required with final low al
77 BHMBAGLOCK: My experience in Colombia has been the exact opposite. They are fastidious when it comes to secuity in my experience. If Uruguay is significantly bet
78 ManuCH: The approach in LUG can be interesting. Not dangerous, but requires special training, because of the 6.6 deg. glideslope and its visual approaches. Fu
80 GFFgold: For danger with a long track record of both minor and major mishaps can I add MEZ (Indonesia). The airport is virtually in the city centre and massive
81 Dangould2000: nothing difficult about that approach
82 AirframeAS: I am surprised that no one has mentioned JNU (the airport is flanked by mountains on three sides) and RNO (high winds).
83 ManuCH: Oh my, of course, meters ... (and I even fly out of there - I would have noticed it if it were that short - thanks for pointing it out)
84 PU752: Avianca, despite that im that was a joke, I kinda like you......and Im not being ironic though, seriously. Let finish this issue please....no more di
85 SupraZachAir: Haha, 1350ft would be QUITE interesting...
86 Rightwayup: Dangould2000, As cabin crew you would probably not be aware, but when you get thunderstorms and have to circle for runway 17, it is more than interest
88 Faustino927: Kish City, Kishmal runway 32. Very dangerous approach and take-off.
89 Socalfive: Here's a little video I shot up the hill a ways in San Diego, enjoy. Socal
90 Sketty222: " target=_blank>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0H8D...XLG6I What an approach that is! Even if people dont think its one of the most dangerous, I per
92 CanadianNorth: I'd say Dawson City, Yukon (YDA) has to be up there. I jumpseated to there today on an HS748, and coming from the south and then down to the airport w
93 Star12: As a Pilot I would say that the title of this thread is misleading. All of those airports that you guys have mentioned may have 'difficult' approaches
94 Threepoint: I think what you witnessed was a fairweather VFR approach with the actual routing chosen by the pilots. The published instrument approaches into YDA
95 SJOtoLIR: I am not clear how LIM is the most difficult approach/landing airport for AA over LPB, TGU and CLO. LIM is placed at 112 feet high and it gets VOR DM
96 SANFan: Great clip 'five! I also found this still photo of the final approach to 27 which pretty well shows the "bowl" into which about 300 aircraft a day de
98 Threepoint: I think he means elevation. A subtle, but often-confused distinction.
99 Phatty3374: I'd second all and any who say Cuzco.. Flying in consisted of what seemed like twenty 90-degree turns in the span of 5 minutes around/in between rugge
100 Ferrypilot: Yes I agree. I have had to refuel a couple of times in Vagar whilst ferrying light aircraft across the North Atlantic. When the windshear gets going
101 Ferrypilot: Narsarsuaq in Greenland, seen in the photo below is one of my favourite places to land if I can make a visual approach. But if the weather is bad I am
102 Dcboy: It might not be the most dangerous, but the River Visual to runway 19 at DCA can be a funky approach and landing if its windy or stormy. Also sometime
103 Jetpixx: Forgive me if this was already discussed, as I am doing a quick hitter and do not have time to dissect all of the above entries. However, KTM is one o
104 Clo1973: Before making statements like that, one should be really sure about what is talking about. You are right, Santa Ana radar was bombed by the Guerrilla
105 EMB170: My top two would have to be 1) DEN (Never, and I mean never, had a smooth approach/landing!) I hate that airport! 2) HEL (pretty damn rough considerin
106 Jlarsson: Hi. According to a friend at work whose husband is a pilot for SAS. Her husband considers OSL as the most difficult / dangerus approch amongst the SK
107 Aukahkay: I would add Innsbruck's Kranibitten Airport (INN). Aircraft have to negotiate a curvy mountain pass before approaching the single runway in the valley
108 Theredbaron: La Paz gets my vote, an airport where you have to disconnect the oxygen masks due to altitude on take off and landing!....and also the runway ends on
109 Turk223: In my humble opinion - and not meaning to get anyone angry here - isn't it a little harsh to say that Colombia has NO security standards?
110 757MDE: Yes, Cali? There are some mountains on the way and descent but the approach itself is made over the Cauca Valley which is a very nice sugarcane-plant
111 FlyboyOz: I would like to see the plane flew over my house closely
112 LAXspotter: I didnt think it was that difficult, geographically but staying out of the restricted zones require some skill without a doubt nothing difficult, jus
113 Ferrypilot: I think no one has mentioned Gibraltar which can be a lot of fun when that "Big Old Rock" (not in view as the photo is taken from it) starts triggerin
114 Flysherwood: Apparently after the BA accident, LHR is a dangerous approach.
115 Ghillier: I read an interview with Former FAA Chief Mary Schiavo recently and she said in North America that Juneau International was the most dangerous. I have
116 Rockinflyer: I've gotta throw STT into the mix. The approach and take off are, um, aggressive to say the least, especially on a bird as big as the A300 I flew in a
117 Ferrypilot: Just found this great photo of Gibraltar and which gives a good impression of why "The Rock" can cause a lot of problems with windshear. ...One of my
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