FMI

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/24463/

Perhaps someone beat me to the punch on posting this video.
Did a search and was unable to find it here.

We have all seen the various 747 low approaches over the beach in to St. Marteen. Many here have done this approach.
However, this one is tight.
How they managed to keep the main trucks from clipping the fence is amazing.

btwissel

well, no sense in wasting all that extra runway...

surprised that they didn't throw up any wake off the water. that would've been sweet to see.

John Pennekamp

I saw a still photo of a KLM 74 landing there and thought it was a hoax. Now comes the video for proof... I'm shocked they can get in and out of there!

CALPilotToo

I have taken 737s in there many times and been stupid enough to hang onto the fence at take off of the KLM 747. I've also sat on the beach duing this flyover to landing approach.

That was obviously close to being at least an incident with the trucks hitting the fence or maybe even an accident. That 747 was probably about 20-25feet too low when it crossed the street before the fence. All photos of this approach usually look odd and are a bit deceptive but when you slow that down it was clear they got way too low over the fence.

But no doubt it takes some thinking to put that whale in there. AA takes 75s and we've always taken 73s.

I think the wind/WX was a factor as the surf was up.

Great video! Nothing fake about it.

mike734

How long is the runway anyway?

Trogol

There are no obstacles at the beginning of the runway. There are no mountains at the beginning of the runway. You have a long final and just over 7000 feet of runway length.

Landing there is not difficult. Only an idiot would take out the fence!

Zoot Suit

I think the Captain was going for the 1 wire.

Jakob

I heard once that either Air France (they fly the A340 there) or KLM (747) pilots, I don't remember exactly, used to have (or still have) competitons on who flies over the fence the lowest. I guess this guy has good chances of winning!

FliFast

Trogol,

I'd respectfully take a different position on landing at SXM. I think risk-taker is a better label than "idiot".

I used to fly into SXM with TWA in the 757. IMHO, the 757 is the perfect airplane for the run. SXM is a high yield, moderate density route. The brakes and reversers on the 757 make the landing look easy, even with a fair amount of winds, the usually unorthodox arrivals, and the constant barrage of VFR targets trying to land at the same time you do.

Using max thrust on the 757, the chandelle-like departure towards the mountain is made with ease and if my memory serves me correct it's not uncommon to complete the chandelle manuever at an altitude of upwards to 6000 feet .

Fast forward to the KLM landing, I flew the 747 Classic, not the -400, but can tell you that when you're at 550-600K pounds landing weight, and sitting 40 feet in the air and staring at a postage stamp runway of 6800-7000 feet of landing distance available, it isn't as easy as it might look.

With the picture you get from sitting that high in the air, your last glimpse of the boundary fence may be at 200-250 feet above touchdown.

I believe from watching the video and hearing the increase in throttle just prior to landing that his mindset was he was going to approach the runway somewhat low, drag it in and touchdown as close to the numbers as possible, even though his calculated landing distance (probably) is based on landing in the touchdown zone using a max braking effort with no reversers. In the process I think he neglected to remember the following:

1. The fence
2. The importance of staying above Threshold Crossing Height (TCH). On the 747 classic, not the -400, I believe it was 47'. In the video I would wager his TCH was under 35'.
3. Vigilance of the Radar Altimeter as a cross reference to TCH.

All's well that ends well--and it made for a great video.

CALPilotToo

LOL...

That was funny.