botched approach

bbchien said:
The only time I ever forgot to put the gear down was when my then 22 mo old "have to go pottie" approaching the DFW metroplex. Charts were buried back in the Mooney's rear compartment, except for DFWs.

The controller gave me a heading, told me he'd let me know which of the FOUR runways it'd be, asked for 170 knots. When I was cleared, it was for 17L, with a 747 in trail.

170 knots it was, out we popped at ~250 agl, but I couldn't get it slowed down. Nose up, big slip, 3000 feet down the runway, finally realized the big silver gear handle wasn't there (Turbo M20F), put 'em out, touched in the last 3000 feet, taxied off the second to the last high speed taxiway, and was THANKED by the controller.

I was covered with sweat.
Click to expand...


Yikes!! Did you almost gear up at DFW?! I'm trying to think of another airport around here with 17L and 4 runways or more, and I can't think of one. Stopping at DFW to go potty? Wow. I'm impressed. And glad you remembered the gear handle, even if it was at the last moment! I bet you're glad he asked for 170 knots... it let you float long enough to remember the gear!
 
Fort Worth Meacham (KFTW), my home airport, renamed their parallel runways from 16L/34R and 16R/34L to 16/34 and 17/35 to help avoid confusion... pilots kept landing on Taxiway Alpha, which as you can see here at least as wide and long as the main runway. They also put BIG YELLOW X's out on the grass outside both ends of Taxiway Alpha. "Don't LAND HERE!"

Look at how it would appear from the air:

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6000183

http://www.faa.gov/runwaysafety/asw/airports/FTW.html
 
That's a big flippin taxiway. And for that matter, a big flippin runway.
 
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