A Learjet 35A crashed at Teterboro Airport in northern New Jersey earlier this week and there has been lots of conjecture about what might have happened. Many of the comments have been made by far more knowledgeable pilots than I, but the accident reminded me vividly of a lesson I learned early on while flying a Cessna CJ3 for a Part 135 company.
Teterboro’s Circling Approach to Runway 1 Can Be Tricky
Key Takeaways:
- A Learjet 35A crash at Teterboro Airport reminded the author of two challenging circle-to-land approaches they experienced there in similar strong wind conditions.
- On the first approach, an instructor's guidance to turn early due to strong winds and level off at a safe altitude once the runway was visible ensured a successful landing.
- Hours later, a different captain's adherence to the minimum circle-to-land altitude (760 feet) despite early visibility resulted in flying dangerously close to an obstacle and required an aggressive maneuver, using almost the entire runway, highlighting the risks of rigid procedures in adverse conditions.
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