Changes in Latitudes wrote:Clearly you guys have zero experience operating on a marginally prepared landing strip when things get hairy.
Who said it was marginally prepared?
It's always nasty in Marsh. But it is a prepared runway. There are buildings around and rocks and even a little Russian church up on the hill. Initial reports are that the landing gear failed so maybe that's just it. They're just lucky they stopped on the runway. On one end is a cliff and the sea. On the other is the base.
I've never heard of the term "white hole" either, but I can guess that what stef was referring to was flat light and little to no contrast. Something like dealing with glassy water. However, with glassy water, you normally have miles of lake to use at your disposal, whereas with a runway or skiway, you only have so much room. Where flat light can be especially dangerous is landing on the ice plateau or ice shelf or sea ice with an overcast cloud layer. You literally have no idea how high you are and it's very difficult to determine what the surface conditions are like. This problem can arise on unmarked skiways as well. This crew would certainly have had something to look at on approach which also leads me to believe it was a landing gear malfunction. But I guess only they really know.
Twenty years from now you'll be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the things you did do.
So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
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