12 hours ago, PJPom said:

I would rather the man up front says I’m not happy and aborts the approach than have a gung ho hero who pushes the limits. 

 

A pilot for the national airline pushed his luck in rain and crashed at Phuket several years ago. They didn't prosecute him for 'dangerous driving' because it would have hurt his feelings. True story - you don't forget reading something like that.

For reference:-

Phrae Airport is a small domestic airport and is served by just 2 NOK AIR flights per day using Bombardier Dash turbo-props, not a Boeing 737 as depicted in the article photo. 

Phrae Airport:-

 

 

It is possible that landing at Phrae can only be achieved by Visual Approach, which could be affected by smog.

"A visual approach is an approach to a runway at an airport conducted under instrument flight rules but where the pilot proceeds by visual reference and clear of clouds to the airport. The pilot must at all times have either the airport or the preceding aircraft in sight. Wikipedia"

 

13 hours ago, Chrysaora said:

You non-pilots watch too many movies. There is what's called an MDA or minimum decision height.  If you can't see the runway at the MDA you are mandated by law to go around and find an alternate airport to land. 

 

Only a few airports can land planes with almost no visibility.  The MDA varies by airport.  Instruments can get you to the airport, get you established on the glideslope (localizer) but if at some point, the MDA, you can't see the runway, you can't land.

 

I suspect they were not allowing departures as well.

This makes complete sense. Lots of things can happen with a runway, such as debris, animals etc on the runway. I have been on flights where the pilot decided to "go around" rather than land due to what he saw on the runway.

Relax, Uncle Tuu has got this and Corona virus 100% under control

Severe air pollution forces Nok Air flightback to Bangkok

 

For me the main information of this article would be

 

... PM2.5 dust particles today (January 27) were found to be 564 micrograms

per cubic meter in the province, while PM10 was 171 micrograms ...

 

A bit more than we measured at our place in Phrae at 8:48.

 

 

I'm fully relaxed. Thanks.

You just should add: the smog problem up North.

14 hours ago, Admiral Hornblower said:

As an aside, is it only me or do others find the Nok Air paint scheme a little scary? OK I get the image intent, a steam pigeon, but "flames" coming from the cockpit area and then down towards the tail abaft the engines, hmmmm!

I thought those were the bird's feathers laid back because of the swift air flow.

 

To stay on the post topic. I am so glad I don't live upcountry, especially in the sugarcane farm areas.  Does Khon Kaen and Udon Thani have this much of a problem? 

@ AgMech Cowboy

At least Phrae is no 'sugar cane farm area'.

Farmers predominantly are growing rice, corn, water melons and

in the Lampang area pineapples.

The prevailing smog has a lot of sources.

 

Runway 1/19 4921' long, no wonder no jets. No published approaches I can find. Visibility 1500 meters in haze and smoke, less than 1 statute mile. No way Jose'.

 

Edited January 28, 20206 yr by Captain Monday

15 hours ago, bannork said:

Surely they are feathers?

You beat me to it.  A smiley bird ( Nok )  with flowing yellow feathers , What a stupid boy.

Unfortunately the brief pause in the sugar cane burning process for Chinese New year is over and like magic, PM2.5 levels are at dangerously unhealthy levels again. ????????????

Just now, mickey rat said:

Unfortunately the brief pause in the sugar cane burning process for Chinese New year is over and like magic, PM2.5 levels are at dangerously unhealthy levels again. ????????????

No it was a change in the wind direction. It was quite clear in Patts yesterday, thanks to the southern wind from the gulf that's pushing all the smoke north. Farmers don't do CNY.

Gotta agree with you Captain Monday, less than a mile/1600 metres and poor viz, go elsewhere sounds good. I also learnt in a C 152 - great little aircraft and many commercial airline pilots (I was never one of those) started in them. For the record, that plane that crashed in Phuket was not TG - it was an MD 82 (a sort of DC 9?) belonging to the now defunct Orient Thai Airlines - a budget start-up, nothing to do with the national carrier. They bought 14 old MD82 aircraft from Japan Airlines and managed to get a few of them flying again. Whenever planes took off or landed at CNX from Hang Dong direction, they flew over my house in Saraphi and I saw these loud MD 82's daily. The plane that crashed in Phuket was being flown by an Indonesian pilot, who had already twice done a go-around, as the driving rain made viz terrible. He attempted a third landing, but at full speed and touched down halfway down the runway. No chance of stopping at all. It ran off the end of the runway and exploded in flames. The airport controller was not in attendance and many said that the airport should have been closed till the storm had ceased. A load of backpackers died. As for CNX smoke - on a Silk Air flight from Sing to CNX a few years ago in peak burning season I heard the pilot, who had an Aussie accent, announce "we will be landing at Chiang Mai airport in about ten minutes," and then, a pause and ever so quietly, (but heard by many on board) "if I can see it" ! Really (Jing Jing) ! 

18 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

You seem to be confusing Minimum Descent Altitude With Decision Altitude.

 

 

My confidence in pilots is growing after seeing this... So, which of you is correct? Do pilots argue over stuff like this while they are flying?

They have something called the approach ban which if the visibility is below the stated minimum you don’t even attempt the approach. For Phrae Airport, the minimum visibility is 1,200m with a 600 foot cloud base (I am not a pilot in Thailand...but my son is!).

 

22 hours ago, Admiral Hornblower said:

Better safe than sorry, already three aircraft incidents throughout the world in the last 24 hrs. As an aside, is it only me or do others find the Nok Air paint scheme a little scary? OK I get the image intent, a steam pigeon, but "flames" coming from the cockpit area and then down towards the tail abaft the engines, hmmmm!

Feathers, not flames 

On 1/27/2020 at 8:58 PM, bannork said:

Surely they are feathers?

I know a Thai bird that doesnt have many feathers...just sayin