KLM fuel emergency - divert from CYYZ to KSYR

[turicus]

The FAR's say that for VFR flights, you need at least 30 minutes fuel reserve during the day, IFR i'm not certain, but it's more like 45 mins.  If you have to dig into your reserves and ATC doesn't give you a timely landing you might be screwed so declaring that emergency will give you the priority you need to land.  So if they had to cut their flight short to KSYR and still only have 30 mins then they needed to divert.

There was an article in Flying Magazine by Les Abend that talked about missed approaches and burning fuel/cutting into the reserves.  I'll try to find the article...ah, March 2005 Jumpseat article on page 99.  "The Comfort Zone" by Les Abend.  I'd highly recommend reading it (especially if you're a pilot).

[ChristopherT]

Whoa, you're right!  There still appears to be a download speed restriction on the archives.  

I read in an aviation newsgroup that the aircraft departed SYR and flew on to Montreal, Canada.

 Thanks for checking!  It will probably get better as the media calms down
about the accident.  No big deal, I can keep checking the archive.  I wish I had known about this site earlier.  
 
  Thanks!

       Christopher

[ChristopherT]

Just checked on fboweb.com...this is what is shows.  That's info available with a subscription.  


KLM691   B744   SYR   CYYZ   8/3/2005 12:28:50 AM

So it went back to Toronto.  The time given is Zulu.  I think that'd be about 7:28PM local Syracuse time (Eastern).  I tried to download the archive for that time frame, but it was taking quite a while.  A 30 min archive usually takes about 30 secs on my computer and it would have been well over two hours today, so I stopped the download.

 Thanks, IndyTower!  I wonder how long CYYZ was closed after the
accident then?  I would've assumed it would have stayed closed at
least overnight.  

  Christopher

[Hobbyist]

There is a correction on the flight number. It is KLM 691 Heavy not KLM 693 Heavy, to SYR. From Hobbyist.

[flyer_d]

What is swinging the localizer?  I'm not familiar with that term.  The localizer is an installed antenna array ....

[IndyTower]

My understanding is that the ILS can only be "up" for one direction of the runway at a time.  So, if it is up for runway 28, it must be taken down in order to have it up for runway 10, but both can not be operating at the same time.  In order for KLM to come straight in, they needed to switch so they would be able to land with as little flying time and fuel as possible.  I'm sure someone will be clarify this some, but there's a starting point for now.

[flyer_d]

That must be it.

I just pulled the plates.  The LOCs for 10 and 28 are on the same frequency -- 109.9.  (I don't know if that is common; I'll have to look around.)  Even if there were no change in the centerline for the opposite operations, one LOC direction would have to be set as primary to avoid reverse sensing.

Thanks for the help!

[Jason]

The LOCs for 10 and 28 are on the same frequency -- 109.9.  (I don't know if that is common; I'll have to look around.)

It's very common.