Near miss in Austin

[GDR]

You have to wonder how this could happen.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/13/travel/fedex-pilots-interview-near-collision-austin/index.html

[J.O.]

The First Officer's experience and spidey senses definitely saved the day. I hope we never find out the hard way but I am left wondering if a brand new FO would have done the same, or would they have obeyed company policy which says the FO must stay "head down" during a CAT III approach and landing or go-around?

[Kip Powick]

22 hours ago, J.O. said:

The First Officer's experience and spidey senses definitely saved the day. I hope we never find out the hard way but I am left wondering if a brand new FO would have done the same, or would they have obeyed company policy which says the FO must stay "head down" during a CAT III approach and landing or go-around?

Good point but the key word in your post is "Experience" and in this case the FO, like many of us that have/had extensive experience, tended to "peek" when that rad-alt reading was getting very close to terra firma.

[J.O.]

I only experienced an actual CAT III from the right seat once, and I definitely peaked when we were short final. I trust the automation up to a point - but not that much. I honestly admire anyone who has the discipline to stay head down.

[Kip Powick]

I think we all have the abject fear of the last thing we will ever see is an instrument panel moving rapidly toward us.

[W5]

7 hours ago, J.O. said:

I only experienced an actual CAT III from the right seat once, and I definitely peaked when we were short final. I trust the automation up to a point - but not that much. I honestly admire anyone who has the discipline to stay head down.

That's why the HUD (or FGS) is so nice to have.

[Rich Pulman]

11 hours ago, J.O. said:

I only experienced an actual CAT III from the right seat once, and I definitely peaked when we were short final. I trust the automation up to a point - but not that much. I honestly admire anyone who has the discipline to stay head down.

Your comment piqued my interest. I’ve done many actual CAT IIIB approaches and landings. My level of alertness peaked below 500’, but I never peeked.

Although I have seen the automation behave a bit wobbly when LOW VIS protections were not being enforced, I’ve never seen it stray when they were. That said, has anyone else here ever done a CAT IIIA into LBA? That was eye opening! Thankfully they don’t do them there anymore.

[J.O.]

I certainly did have the LBA experience - in think it was in either 1999 or 2000. One of our favourite sim instructors was paired with me for a couple of weeks and we had three CAT III landings there in six flights. It wasn't long after that when the UK CAA removed the CAT III certification on that runway after someone had an overrun. There was no damage but the autopilot was slow putting it down (due to the infamous hill) and they went slightly off the end of the wet runway. It was CAT II only after that with no autoland permitted.