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During the winter of 2012, I was the captain on a United Airlines flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Denver (DEN) flying a Boeing 757. On that day, I encountered a very unusual situation that required tough pilot-in-command decision making along with some serious risk management. To make matters more stressful, I was getting a line check by an FAA inspector who was sitting behind me in the cockpit jump seat.
Upon arrival in the Denver terminal area, I found that the weather was 500′ overcast with one mile visibility in light snow and light freezing drizzle. There had been a significant freezing rain event prior to our arrival that left all six runways with a coating of clear ice. Airport crews were attempting to improve the braking conditions by applying a chemical to the runway surfaces.
Upon contacting Denver Approach Control, we were told that the only runway available for our landing in the west complex was Runway 34 Left, which is 16,000 feet long, and the longest paved runway in the entire country.
While being vectored to intercept the localizer for the ILS Runway 34 Left approach, the controller informed us that the braking action from the threshold to Taxiway D5 was fair to poor, and from D5 to the end of the runway, the braking action was nil as it was still coated with clear ice. It is not legal or safe to land with braking action nil, but braking action fair to poor was legal. Upon analyzing the situation, I determined that I could legally land so long as I did not roll past the reverse high speed taxiway Delta 5 (See diagram below of the west complex of runways at DIA).
Runway 34 Left is 16,000 feet long—the longest paved runway in the entire country.
From the threshold to taxiway D5 gave me a little over 5,000 feet to land and stop. This meant I would be making a short field landing on a 16,000 foot long runway!
It was now time for some risk management. I had two choices. I could land and try to stop before encountering the nil braking action, which most likely would have resulted in a loss of directional control, or I could divert to my alternate, which was Colorado Springs (COS). However, COS had also experienced the freezing rain event. What was the braking action there? If I diverted and found I could not land, I would be low on fuel with no place to go.
Having made dozens of landings on Orange County’s (SNA) 5,700 foot long runway with no difficulty, I decided to take my chances on Runway 34 Left at DEN. But to do it safely would entail a deviation from Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). I quickly recognized that this was one of those rare situations where strict adherence to SOP might result in an unsafe situation, and possibly a runway excursion, so I briefed my first officer on how I would fly the approach.
My plan was to maintain the glide slope until nearing the threshold, Iwould then duck under the glide slope and cross the threshold at about 20 feet above the ground instead of then normal 50 feet resulting in a touchdown prior to the 1,000 foot runway markers. Obeying SOP and staying precisely on the glide slope over the threshold would waste precious stopping distance which could put us into a dangerous situation.
I then thought about the FAA inspector sitting in my jump seat watching me every move. He would obviously see me deviate from SOP by not crossing the threshold on the glide slope and may write me up over it. But I have always believed that safety trumps SOP, and if he confronted me after landing, I could easily defend my actions. I also decided that I would not alter my flying technique or decision making process out of fear of what an FAA inspector might do, or say.
After breaking out of the clouds at 500 feet, I held the glide slope until on a one quarter mile final approach, then descended and crossed the threshold at the planned 20 feet. Some would say that this resulted in an unstablized approach, but it was a planned and controlled unstablized approach that was done to enhance safety.
Touchdown occurred some 500 feet beyond the threshold giving me about 4,500 feet to stop. With the auto brakes set at level 4, we were able to safely stop and make the awkward reverse high speed turn off at taxiway D5 without difficulty.
Upon shutting the engines down at the gate, the FAA inspector did not mention my deviation from SOP. Instead, he complimented me and my first officer on a job well done thus ending the stressful and challenging ordeal. But it felt good that I had gotten my 182 passengers to their destination safely and on time. And this is what airline pilots do for a living!
His professional credentials include 5 years as captain, training officer, and chief pilot for a commuter airline where he flew the DC-3, Beech 18 and Beech 99 in scheduled passenger operations, and 6 years as Director of Training for both FlightSafety International and Simuflite’s King Air Division.
Turpin was hired by United Airlines in 1986, where he flew the Boeing 727, 737, 757 and 767 in both domestic and international operations including 100 oceanic crossings, and 6 equator crossings. Turpin retired in 2015 at age 65, and currently has some 30,000 hours in his log book.
He is currently employed as captain and chief pilot flying the Pilatus PC-12NG for a company in Pennsylvania. Joel has been a current and active flight instructor since 1970 and teaches instrument flying in a variety of single engine airplanes. Turpin also writes technical articles with an emphasis on instrument flying and airplane systems.
In 2016, Joel Turpin earned the FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award for 50 years of flying accident and violation free, and for his contribution to aviation safety for all of those years.
He currently lives in Punta Gorda, Florida with his wife, who is a United Airlines flight attendant. While Joel has had an amazing career in aviation spanning over six decades, he still considers himself to be just a general aviation pilot who got lucky.
- The day I had to make a short field landing in a B757 - August 28, 2024
- Fate is STILL the hunter - August 12, 2024
Joel, I enjoyed this article as I did your earlier piece this month. However, on your earlier piece, I asked if you knew my brother when you were with Flight Safety and Simuflite. His name was Robert (Bob) Hill and he was a former Marine F-4 and A-4 pilot who was medically retired in 1981. Just asking, if you would like to keep the conversation private, you can reply to me at [email protected] Thanks, Boots
Awesome!
Outstanding. You simply did what you had to do. I spent my last 11 years of 121 flying on the 757/767 flying cargo mostly at night. The 757 is such a well designed capable aircraft. There were a few times my current GA C172 experience would be useful.
Hopefully you were not put into many of those situations during your career. I’ve often said that close to 95% of the time our job is pretty routine and maybe over compensated, 4.5% we make good strategic decisions that earn our pay and the .5% of the time we make decisions that all of our training and experience need to come together all at once and it more than compensates the 95% routine part.
S in SOP is for “standard” usually at the very beginning, and again on about page 247, it will say “nothing in here is to preclude good headwork”, you did exactly that. Curious, was there any consideration of a go around if you didn’t like what you got on initial braking for another try?
For those not thinking about it, 5700′ runway at Orange Cty isn’t a direct comparison, elevation at DEN means TAS is going to be higher than sea level, but only so many things you can address in a short article…
Auto brakes – Max works real good on poor braking surfaces…..
Auto brakes – Max would’ve worked with the deviation.
“Without”
Awesome experience.
Joel is not only an excellent pilot but also a fine writer. I flew various planes up to and including a Twin Beech D-18 over a period of 35 years but as a rank amateur and am in awe of his professionalism. Never was I responsible for the lives of more than 4 or 5 other souls. Thankful that there are evidently many others with similar capabilities populating the airline ranks.
Being responsible for one other life or 300 lives is the same. The pressure and responsibility is there and every pilot that takes safety seriously is a great pilot!
Well done Joel, I have about 8,000hrs.as captain on the 757 and 767 those that have never flown it don’t realize what a great short field airplane it is.
Kudos to the FAA examiner in the jump seat for realizing the situation and commending the pilots for their Aeronautical Decision Making.
I am not so sure that a decision to land on a frozen runway( v go to “another” alternate) was correct.
What would headlines look like had a runway excursion occurred? Would a GA critic be as accepting as that very charitable FAA inspector? Your braggadocio leaves a trail of embarrassing questions.
I have one for you. What was the safer alternative? Good luck with that one.
I wonder about Option C being enter a hold while ground crews treated more of 34L past D5. I bet there was enough fuel on board to accomplish this. Of course, this only works if weather is improving, rather then deteriorating (you mentioned the significant freezing rain event had passed).
COS was your filed alternate, but was that the only physically suitable airport within safe & legal range? Typically this is not the case, as often there are other suitable alternates other than the one filed. Perhaps not in this case?