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January 07, 2010
Aviation expert blames pilot error in Flight 331 crash
The decision by the pilot of American Airlines Flight 331 to land the aircraft in weather conditions it was not capable of handling might have contributed to the December 22 accident, United States-based aviation expert Michael Slack, is quoted as saying.
Slack reportedly stated that it was “not just pilot error, but pilot recklessness.”
Responding to reports that the 737-800 aircraft was attempting to land in a tailwind of 14 knots, Slack pointed to a 2004 study which showed that the maximum tailwinds for take-offs and landings by this model plane was 10 knots in clear weather conditions. This number, he noted, was lower in bad weather.
Pointing out that all pilots have this information, a Met Service official present at yesterday's hearing, explained that data about the weather conditions