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:
- The Teterboro Airport ILS 6 circle-to-land Runway 1 approach presents specific challenges, including a mandatory step-down and the need to manage strong crosswinds.
- Strong westerly winds on this approach necessitate an early turn towards the runway and maintaining a safe altitude once the airport is in sight to prevent being pushed too far east.
- Flying unnecessarily low to minimums and delaying turns in strong crosswinds can lead to dangerous situations, requiring increased bank angles and consuming more runway length.
- The author's personal experiences underscore how critical anticipating weather effects and precise execution are on challenging approaches, drawing parallels to recent incidents like the Learjet crash.
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