BajaNomad

Cabo San Lucas Low-Flying Jetliner ?!?!?!

bryanmckenzie - 6-30-2010 at 12:07 PM

????????????????

So I'm sitting at Villa del Palmar last night (Tuesday) having a drink, waiting for dinner, facing the ocean (south) when all of a sudden a flown-blown commercial jet aircraft flies by east-to-west. And here's the scary part ... from left view of building to right view disappearing behind building took under 5 seconds. That should give you an idea how low and close it was.

My estimate: 2,000 feet vertical (as in double the height of El Arco) and perhaps just 1 Km beyond Land's End. It was so fast and I was so stunned I couldn't read the tail markings but they appeared blue and green, maybe? So fast, by the time my friend turned around, he missed seeing it.

If the aircraft hadn't been flying level, I would have thought it was ditching in the Pacific or pulling off a 9-11 stunt. And just to be clear, this is NOT a normal flight-line to see aircraft other than the ultralight guy, some parasails and the occasional private jet flying into the Cabo San Lucas airfield at the top of the hill.

I mean, what the ?!?!?! was that all about? Is anyone on this forum a member of http://www.airliners.net/ ??

[Edited on 6-30-2010 by bryanmckenzie]

[Edited on 6-30-2010 by bryanmckenzie]

gnukid - 6-30-2010 at 12:14 PM

Many private large jets fly to Cabo - sounds like joy riding elites

Bajahowodd - 6-30-2010 at 12:33 PM

Years ago, the Mexican-based airlines used to make a point of buzzing the coast after taking off from SJD in a sort of proud display of what they had developed there.

Then, on a different note, some 15 years ago, or thereabouts, we boarded an Aerocalifornia plane at SJD that was seriously delayed in taking off. When the pilot finally was pushing back, he announced that the plane had some sort of mechanical problem. He said they were taking the plane to their base in LA Paz to conduct the repair. He then proceeded to fly at about 2,000 feet all the way up to LA Paz, where we ended up waiting three hours before we were able to head on up to LAX.

mtgoat666 - 6-30-2010 at 12:44 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bryanmckenzie
????????????????


it was an airplane.

bryanmckenzie - 6-30-2010 at 01:17 PM

Thanks. Now that might actually make sense. Still bizzarre tho.
Quote:
Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Years ago, the Mexican-based airlines used to make a point of buzzing the coast after taking off from SJD in a sort of proud display of what they had developed there.

Then, on a different note, some 15 years ago, or thereabouts, we boarded an Aerocalifornia plane at SJD that was seriously delayed in taking off. When the pilot finally was pushing back, he announced that the plane had some sort of mechanical problem. He said they were taking the plane to their base in LA Paz to conduct the repair. He then proceeded to fly at about 2,000 feet all the way up to LA Paz, where we ended up waiting three hours before we were able to head on up to LAX.

mulegejim - 6-30-2010 at 02:53 PM

Years ago, in the early 1980's, flew into SJD with one of the Mexican airlines and on the way they went down and buzzed Cabo San Lucas - might have been OK in a private prop job buzzing the town to get a taxi up to the landing strip, however, in a commercial jet it was a little different. We weren't very high at all but everything worked out OK. Jim

Bajahowodd - 6-30-2010 at 03:34 PM

Perhaps some of the pilots on this board have some superior knowledge on this. As a frequent international flier in the last three decades of the 90's, it was apparent to me that non-US airline pilots tended to be less passenger- friendly when it came to descents and turns. I was told by some that in the absence of the US FAA, pilots were freer to fly as they pleased. This obviously led to some surprises as a passenger.

Stickers - 6-30-2010 at 08:37 PM

Flying standards are established by the company you fly for if not restricted by law.

Here in the U.S. we are restricted by law to 1000'agl (above ground level) in heavily populated areas, 500'agl in sparsely populated areas and zero feet in areas of no population.

So we can fly at one foot above the water or any deserted area if we like as long as there are no people around. If there are boats in the area it counts as population and we should maintain 500'agl (or water level).

What you saw might be legal but against company rules for obvious reason of making too much noise and freaking out the wildlife both in nature and the bars of Cabo. (couldn't resist)

:lol:

LancairDriver - 6-30-2010 at 11:26 PM

A pilot in Texas recently had his license revoked for low flying or "flat hatting" as the navy pilots call it. He snagged a surf fisherman's line and yanked the pole out of his hands. Pretty hard to get out of that one- that definitely sounds like a violation.

capt. mike - 7-1-2010 at 08:54 AM

those jet jockey airliner guys buzz a lot. no one enforces it and if they want to give any VIPs or others on the ride a glimps of sumthin special they like to oblige.
i saw them come in low and slow to San jose in Nov several times from Cabo Azul's beach.
way below the std 3 degree glide path the big boys use.
wait till one gets too low and he can't spool up in time....landing short will be the result!

Years ago...

Mexray - 7-1-2010 at 11:10 PM

...we were visiting friends over in San Franciso, and we were out on the veranda overlooking the sea, at the old Cliff House...

As I stood there, I saw a Beech Bonanza (light plane) approach from the south, skimming the waves, as it were, at about 50 feet altitude...

I told my friends it looked like the Beech was headed around the point to fly UNDER the GG Bridge!

Sure enough, as we watched, that's exactly what he did...to join an exclusive club of flyers that have pulled off that stunt...

This was in the days before Homeland Security, etc....I'm sure if you tried that today, you'd be hauled off to jail, with some big 'splaining' to do...;)

Ray

capt. mike - 7-2-2010 at 08:31 AM

one of the worst wrecks at punta chivato happened a couple of decades ago when Bill still had it.
a pilot friend of mine and Bill were sitting on the overlook when a v tail buzzed by low and fast, then did a hard pull up - he entered an accelerated stall , inverted and nosed in before he even know what happened. they jumped in the truck and raced to the scene - the engine had moved completely thru the cabin to the empenage scavaging the 4 adult occupants along the way.
only parts were left, unidentifiable.
was the worst one there before the King Air 2 years ago.
buzzing is a bad idea....

they had to leave the scene intact until the DGAC from Loreto's office could arrive. bad start to a vacation.

woody with a view - 7-2-2010 at 02:41 PM

Quote:

bad start to a vacation.


i'm thinking bad end to a vacation.....

osoflojo - 7-3-2010 at 11:56 AM

For years American and Mexican airliners both have been using the "Cabo One Departure" Giving the passangers on the right side of the plane a great view of the arch. I have been lucky to see it many times on those flights over the years. I know they still do it on occasion as I see and hear them on occasion. It does sound like that one may have been a bit low though, but remember they are at cruise/climb speed at the time.

here's what i was watching

capt. mike - 7-4-2010 at 07:29 AM

you can read how low and slow.
the fix is about where i was standing on the beach.

[Edited on 7-4-2010 by capt. mike]

Cabos ARR 34 VOR (Small).jpg - 30kB

capt. mike - 7-4-2010 at 07:32 AM

at a mere 1600 ft above the waves a plane as large as a DC9 etc. looms LARGE!!

bryanmckenzie - 7-4-2010 at 09:56 AM

Thanks Capt. Mike. I've had that same SJD departure to the south, moderate climb rate, sat on right side of plane and take awesome Cape photos.

What Osoflojo writes may be the best answer yet. But to travel 30 Km from SJD to El Arco over water and never exceed a few thousand feet, blow my mind. You could be looking inside the condo windows at the Westin!

Wouldn't it be dangerous to climb to altitude and then drop in low just to do a fly-by? And just to be sure he didn't take off from San Lucas on the hill, I drove up there and checked Google Earth and it doesn't seem the runway is long enough for a commercial jet; just for corporate jets (even with what appears to be a runway extension to 1.2 miles).

capt. mike - 7-4-2010 at 10:33 AM

they wouldn't climb initially just to descend. wastes jet fuel.
they usually have to fly the departure procedure as published for spacing. it is the inbound routes that might have more lee way with in VFR conditions.
that chart is an VOR approach chart. i have a departure procedures chart too and one of them will take you just over the arches but not low. but that one does not have terrain shown so unless you can place yourself it wouldn't tell you much.
the mexican pilots i have rode with on mex airlines have done some things i wouldn't expect on USA carriers. we had some fun trips on those flights to La paz and Hermosillo. the best was the very liberal in flight drink service from carts and free pouring stews with HUGE cutie smiles.:saint:

toneart - 7-4-2010 at 10:46 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by capt. mike
you can read how low and slow.
the fix is about where i was standing on the beach.

[Edited on 7-4-2010 by capt. mike]


"here's what i was watching

Capt. mike has attached this image:"

Mike,
That image you attached looks like you were watching a fish hook.
:?::biggrin: (Scroll up a few posts to see the attached image).

bryanmckenzie - 7-11-2010 at 05:36 PM

Did I miss an attachment? I cannot "see" what you saw.

Barry A. - 7-11-2010 at 06:58 PM

I saw a low flying Cessna buzzing Glamis back in the late 70's and it caught a power line and went in on the railroad tracks--------4 occupants instantly dead and burned------bad scene, this buzzing stuff.

Barry

it is the IFR

capt. mike - 7-12-2010 at 06:25 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by bryanmckenzie
Did I miss an attachment? I cannot "see" what you saw.


approach chart above. you can see the req'd min altitudes at the fix points.
1600 ft is the ref point i used at the point where the AC would cross the beach according to the procedure as published.