The Runway

camlinhall

Any opinions about what actually happened at Mallow racecourse in 1983?

Blue Punto

Why is there underlining stuff about what happened

As far as i know a G2B made an emergency landing and used the racecourse as the runway.
At the time it was cheaper to build a runway on the course so the aircraft coulsd take off again.
Dont forget it wasnt that old when it happened


Enlighten me

camlinhall

But what happened? The press reported he ran too low on fuel to make Cork, having spent all the fuel he needed to get to Cork in circling Shannon for a break in the weather. That's an aviation no-no. But then he struts his stuff around Mallow for a few glorious weeks codding everyone and forgetting to mention Lawlor in Shannon ATC who saved his skin. Even the National papers fell for it. Now that the event is back in the news, can anyone explain how we were all made to look like jackasses?

CaptainSkidmark

The story as it says itself on the poster is "kind of based on a true story"

Basically he couldnt land anywhere so he put down in Mallow and lived the life for a few weeks and courted many a woman, they built the runway and off he went. he did a low pass after and got in big trouble for it.

The jet itself a gulfstream later crashed a few years after taking off from san fran or LA into a pylon in thick fog.

He want flying it but as as far as i know he himself has passed on.


The runway was used by people learning to drive for years after until they refurbished the racecourse as at the time it was just a stand with a metal roof and the runway is long gone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1AVTVegjkI


PLUS, its a kids movie/comedy. I dont think anyone was set out to look like a jackass

camlinhall

"The Runway" is a comedy that has very little to do with the actual event, you're right. I'm only referring to it here because it has revived the memory of what actually happened, and I'm surprised at how few people know that the pilot nearly caused a disaster through flaunting the most fundamental of aviation rules, lauded as a hero in the press, and denied the person who saved the day (in Shannon ATC, now retired) the credit for averting a major crash.

Growler!!!

camlinhall wrote: »

Any opinions about what actually happened at Mallow racecourse in 1983?

Looking at your profile - I see you've found the aviation forum:). I'd be very interested in your opinions as to what happened.

You were flying a DC8 into Snn on the same day. Was the Wx as bad as reported in the press? Did the fog clear soon after the mexican diverted? Cant find any details about how long he held over Snn or how many approaches he made. Can you shed any light?

Pic below for any interested parties:

CaptainSkidmark

camlinhall wrote: »

"The Runway" is a comedy that has very little to do with the actual event, you're right. I'm only referring to it here because it has revived the memory of what actually happened, and I'm surprised at how few people know that the pilot nearly caused a disaster through flaunting the most fundamental of aviation rules, lauded as a hero in the press, and denied the person who saved the day (in Shannon ATC, now retired) the credit for averting a major crash.

Sounds like someone has a chip on their shoulder

Blue Punto

Should have added in my earlier post
The pilot Captain Ocana died in 2009 after many more years of flying and as mentioned the aircraft in question (XA-FOU)was destroyed on 22/11/04 as N85VT at Houston Hobby Airport

squonk

What was the disaster that was averted? Could someone fill this bit in please? I'm too young to remember it but I did see it on Reeling In The Years

Lapin

Was the runway at Mallow racecourse ever used again ?

CaptainSkidmark

Lapin wrote: »

Was the runway at Mallow racecourse ever used again ?

They had to dig it up again pretty quick as MOL was eyeing it up


No it was never used again for aircraft. there might be a small bit of it left ill have to walk over next week and have a look.

Kumsheen

You also have to remember this was nearly 30 years ago and regulation was a lot looser back then. A lot of things went on that would not be allowed these days.

CaptainSkidmark

Kumsheen wrote: »

You also have to remember this was nearly 30 years ago and regulation was a lot looser back then. A lot of things went on that would not be allowed these days.

Landing in racecourse for one lol

Lapin

CaptainSkidmark wrote: »

They had to dig it up again pretty quick as MOL was eyeing it up


No it was never used again for aircraft. there might be a small bit of it left ill have to walk over next week and have a look.

Unfortunatly the images on Google Earth and Bing Maps are too blurred to make anything out.

However on the Ordanance Survey Mapviewer it would appear that the eastern end is still there as part of the racecourse car park. Although this image is at least 6 years old now.

CaptainSkidmark

Honestly dont think thats the runway. the ground is a lot higher than what used be at the old racecourse

camlinhall

Growler!!! wrote: »

Looking at your profile - I see you've found the aviation forum:). I'd be very interested in your opinions as to what happened.

You were flying a DC8 into Snn on the same day. Was the Wx as bad as reported in the press? Did the fog clear soon after the mexican diverted? Cant find any details about how long he held over Snn or how many approaches he made. Can you shed any light?

Pic below for any interested parties:

It was fog alright, it had cleared later on when we got there. He spent over half an hour waiting for the vis to pick up, that stuck in our minds at the time, we'd all been in that situation at one time or another, and getting caught out for fuel is just something you can hardly bear to think about. I remember what it's like, though. He hadn't been here before, he didn't know Cork either, and he was probably dead tired (he left the US the night before). You just want to get it down. Right there where you are. We'll never know if there was another factor like misbehaving fuel gauges, but when you're low you never rely on them by themselves anyway.

camlinhall

squonk wrote: »

What was the disaster that was averted? Could someone fill this bit in please? I'm too young to remember it but I did see it on Reeling In The Years

When the captain of the Gulfstream jet decided to fly to Cork airport the fuel was dangerously low. He was later blamed by the company he worked for: they said he should have diverted to Cork much sooner rather than hang around overhead Shannon airport in hopes of better landing weather. The captain hadn't much control anymore of where he was coming down, and God help anyone who happened to be there! But Shannon air traffic control saved the day, and guided him to Mallow racecourse. At that time the technology available to air traffic controllers was relatively primitive, and guiding the Gulfstream to Mallow racecourse was regarded as fine work by any pilots I spoke to at the time. The actual landing itself was straightforward enough, as long as the ground wasn't too soft, no great problem, the aircraft was certainly relatively light, approach speed relatively low.

Blue Punto

[HTML]The actual landing itself was straightforward enough[/HTML]

I find that statement insulting to any pilot who has had to put an aircraft down in an area that he was not expecting

When flying you dont know the conditions of an area that your gonna use in an emergency and this increases the tension and pressure on a flight crew

It was bloody good visual flying

camlinhall

Blue Punto wrote: »

[HTML]The actual landing itself was straightforward enough[/HTML]

I find that statement insulting to any pilot who has had to put an aircraft down in an area that he was not expecting

When flying you dont know the conditions of an area that your gonna use in an emergency and this increases the tension and pressure on a flight crew

It was bloody good visual flying

I agree. But nowhere near in comparison to the achievement of the ATC controller, who got no recognition. That's the point.

CaptainSkidmark

camlinhall wrote: »

I agree. But nowhere near in comparison to the achievement of the ATC controller, who got no recognition. That's the point.

Are you the ATC chap? every post your trying to put the pilot down and promote the ATC controller.

camlinhall

CaptainSkidmark wrote: »

Are you the ATC chap? every post your trying to put the pilot down and promote the ATC controller.

He wasn't even an acquaintance of mine. I just think something went badly wrong and people have a right to know what it was. Remember, I was there that day, working at the coalface of that industry, and I felt let down as did the other professionals, that the man to whom a lot is owed gets no recognition.

CaptainSkidmark

camlinhall wrote: »

He wasn't even an acquaintance of mine. I just think something went badly wrong and people have a right to know what it was. Remember, I was there that day, working at the coalface of that industry, and I felt let down as did the other professionals, that the man to whom a lot is owed gets no recognition.

Let it all out.

camlinhall

Thanks. I DO feel better now...

sh1tstirrer

CaptainSkidmark wrote: »

Honestly dont think thats the runway. the ground is a lot higher than what used be at the old racecourse

The start of the runway is still there and used as a car park, the rest is gone as the new building is built over it.

mickdw

I guess this is what remained when building works were done. Is it still like that?

sh1tstirrer

mickdw wrote: »

I guess this is what remained when building works were done. Is it still like that?

Yes it still like that.

easygoing39

I remember going to Mallow racecourse in the mid '90's to see motorcycle dragracing.They used the runway to form a 1/8 mile dragstrip.

pclancy

Never heard of this story before. In the photo is it the grass strip to the right of the aircraft that it landed on?

Delancey

camlinhall wrote: »

I agree. But nowhere near in comparison to the achievement of the ATC controller, who got no recognition. That's the point.

This is simply not the case . I recall the incident and I remember the Controller got plenty of publicity / recognition for his efforts in the Irish media - I can't comment on the international media.

camlinhall

Delancey wrote: »

This is simply not the case . I recall the incident and I remember the Controller got plenty of publicity / recognition for his efforts in the Irish media - I can't comment on the international media.

I disagree. The press lauded and praised the pilot, I've read the articles, and quite clearly they didn't understand the incident at all, and couldn't have appreciated what Lawlor managed to do that day in Cork. But what articles did you see? For God's sake prove me wrong, I'd prefer the happy clappy story.

CaptainSkidmark

pclancy wrote: »

Never heard of this story before. In the photo is it the grass strip to the right of the aircraft that it landed on?

no no, thats where the horses run, doubt that would be very smooth