CRASH SION APPROACH

[gronji2004]

Today was my first flight to Sion airport in Switzerland at night. I studied my GPS and saw the mountains were a hazard. I was doin ok,
then suddenly out of nowhere, I flew 270KIAS into the side of a mountain. I should do it in daylight last time.

http://www.fspassengers.com/?action=va&listflight=83333

Any help on planning an approach to Runway 7 of sion would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Gronji

[DBE]

If you were really travelling 270KIAS on approach then you've already found problem #1.

The Sion approach involves a good dose of flaps, a clenched sphincter and....another aircraft: forget about doing it in an A330!

[gronji2004]

Though so! My beloved A330

[Ceemosp]

Another advise: Stick to the STAR's and

NOT

toFS9 ATC !!!

Example

LOWS RWY34 Visual FS9 ATC:
Lineup for straight in to RWY 34 at 10.000 ft ! As soon as you clear the mountains of 6961' height you receive
the "cleared to land" some heft 6 miles out ! Did I mention that the airport elevation is 1411' !!!!
So you need to loose 8500ft' in 6 miles distance at roughly 170kts TAS - that makes for a descent rate of 4013 ft/m
and for loads of in the cabin !!!

LOWS RWY34 in real aviation:
You fly an instrument approach to RWY 16 (at 4000' through the valley), after passing SI NDB turn to 130º outbound for 3.5 miles, then turn
right onto final for visual

Conclusions:
Make sure you have the correct STAR's and Approach Charts for the airport you fly into and study them carefully before you get to land at it

It's especially important when you fly into dangerous airport that have special procedures or in mountain areas - as you found out

Greetz Carsten

[gronji2004]

Yeh thanks for your advice Ceemosp. I think I will fly my A330 to Geneva from my Main Airport (shannon) and then switch to an A319 or 737
to Sion. I will try use that approach ceemosp.

Thanks,
Alex

[Joeflyer]

DBE wrote:
If you were really travelling 270KIAS on approach then you've already found problem #1.

The Sion approach involves a good dose of flaps, a clenched sphincter and....another aircraft: forget about doing it in an A330!

Yep, that pucker factor can be quite high during that approach

[gronji2004]

I was at 270 becuase I saw the landing lights reflecting the mountains at like 6,600 Ft, so I pushed full throtlle and yanked the control
column up.

Too late