It was a veritable disaster on all levels, with the influence of the movie “Top Gun” as the putrid basement to public relations stunt that went wrong.
With a harrowing view from the German airport terminal of an Airbus A330 long haul jet seemingly bearing down on the building Sunday and causing momentary panic among travelers, the pilots of the aircraft attempting a ceremonial tradition, got more than they bargained from, and then some.
Fox News reports that the Air Berlin crew was attempting to articulate a send off during the final moments before touch down on a flight originating in Miami, as the airline will discontinue operations at the end of October. After receiving approval for the maneuver from Duesseldorf air traffic control to abort landing, the jet carrying 200 passengers, accelerated and climbed in altitude while executing a sharp left turn. From certain vantage points in the terminal, the aircraft appears to narrowly miss a collision with the control tower.
In the aftermath of the irregular, yet planned go-around, the flight crew, selected air traffic controllers and Air Berlin are all scorching in boiling water, as German transportation officials are planning the full onslaught of an involved and costly investigation. The airline issued a statement Wednesday, announcing that the pilots of flight #7001, have officially been suspended and none of the passengers has yet to file an official complaint. (No wonder the airline is going bankrupt.)
Two key points are apparent in the wake of the incident. Why did the company not turn the landing into a public relations dream, complete with contest for the best footage of the aircraft’s livery, and with the European Union on a heightened terror alert, why did the flight crew or aircraft control personal fail to weigh the plausible fear the stunt could cause among travelers, as the tragic scenes of September 11th still resonate on an international level? Merkel’s Germany, has been a modern disaster in all facets and this latest snafu will surely result in a pain for tax payers and the lengthy bureaucratic process of the national transportation agency being forced to enact new regulatory policies.
Data from Flightaware.com, clearly shows the details of the Air Berlin aborted landing, which descended to within 600 feet of the tarmac, and thanks to some amazing camera people, the maneuver is available from differing angles.
Read the full Fox News article here.
WATCH- The Amazing Send Off Of An Airbus A330