EFTA01056856.pdf

From: Dave Rodgers <MElla> To: "Jeffrey E." <[email protected]> Subject: St. Thomas Approach and Landing Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2017 20:24:02 +0000 Hi Jeffrey, Your suggestion about more stick time in the simulator is well received, and we will try to get that accomplished next week if the simulator is available. There are very few times during our simulator training that the Autothrottle is ever disengaged. These few times are while practicing Steep Turns, Stalls, Emergency Descents, Jet Upset, Engine Failure, Windshear Escape Maneuvers and during some Missed Approaches. When we hand fly approaches in the simulator without the Autopilot engaged, the Autothrottle is engaged. It's very rare under normal procedures in the simulator that the Autothrottle is disengaged. The Autothrottle is very slow to respond when flying through turbulent air or windshear. On the approach into St. Thomas yesterday, the wind was variable from 90 degrees (which is 10 degrees to the left of the runway), all the way to 330 degrees (which is a 40 degree quartering tailwind). As a result of the changing wind direction, there was windshear and turbulence on the approach. When the Autothrottle could not keep up, I disengaged the Autopilot and Autothrottle less than two miles from the runway. My initial throttle input was what I thought was needed at the time. It was in fact more power than was required, but I would rather have too much power than not enough power. To prevent such an occurrence from happening again, whenever the wind gust factor exceeds the steady state wind factor, we will turn the Autothrottle off before the approach begins. Yesterday's wind was reported as 06012G29 (060 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 29 knots). While flying into Brunswick yesterday the wind was 10 knots gusting to 16 knots. At 3000 feet the Autothrottle was turned off and the approach was hand flown. Most likely during this approach the Authothrottle would have performed without incident because there was no turbulence or windshear encountered. I apologize for any discomfort that was felt yesterday on the approach into St. Thomas. Of all the times I have flown into St. Thomas, the wind yesterday was the fastest changing wind direction that I have experienced there as well as the turbulence and windshear on short final. Best Regards, EFTA01056856 Dave EFTA01056857