Emirates said it's reviewing an incident where an A380 was reported as flying low on a runway approach at New York's JFK airport earlier this month.
Tracking data from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey posted on Aviation Herald recorded the A380 at an altitude of 338 feet at its lowest point during the attempted landing before its crew called in a “missed approach” and ascended to attempt another landing.
The missed approach was conducted “in the interests of safety” an Emirates spokesperson said in a statement to Arabian Business.
“A missed approach is a standard flight operations procedure when the landing criteria for any reason is not satisfactory. Safety is Emirates number one priority and an internal review into the event is underway,” the statement went on to add.
The airline experienced a similar incident in September when an A380 attempting to land in Moscow exceeded the glideslope and went too far below the minimum height limits imposed to ensure a safe landing. The aircraft then was reportedly 400 feet above ground while approximately 15 kilometres from the runway, according to the Aviation Herald.
The glideslope is the path an airline takes during descent when attempting to landing. Emirates crew were forced to pull out of the attempted landing on both occasions and turn around to re-attempt a landing. It took three turns in Moscow before the aircraft was able to land.
The UAE’s civil aviation regulator, GCAA, began an investigation in September, terming the landing a “serious incident”.
Source: ArabianBusiness