Struggling Through Sand Unfamiliar conditions and unhelpful SOPs

摘要

This is an account of two British Mediterranean Airways pilots who found themselves in some very trying conditions that they attempted to resolve by applying what they thought were their carrier's directives. Their decision to continue an approach on autopilot when the circumstances were confusing and the situation rapidly deteriorating could have ended tragically. There were so many factors considered by investigators of the March 2005 incident that the final report by the U.K.'s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) was not issued until 2014. The details that follow are from that report. We've italicized points that started the incident's chain of events and note what the pilots did after each of them. One can almost feel the pressure increasing on the two as each of these factors came into play. Finally, the crew began an approach in weather not suitable for their selected mode and continued, trying desperately to see the ground, against ever-decreasing odds.