There would have come a point at which the pilot would have had to abort the landing and go around again. Clearly, the flight crew agreed that there was sufficient runway to get the plane on the ground and bring it to a slow enough roll-out to get off the active runway.

Another reason for the hard breaking can also be that the best place to exit the runway was coming up and to avoid traffic on the runway (preventing other planes from using it) the pilot worked to get off as quickly as possible.

Strong and/or gusty winds, are unpredictable and can cause moment-by-moment changes in flight management. Even though the pilot can aim for a landing spot on the runway, he or she will have to fly with the actual conditions in the air, not according to where they want to land.

Finally, the key to landing is airspeed, not ground speed. The pilots manage airspeed, then need to deal with whatever ground speed they've got once they touch down. I'm sure anyone in a plane will agree that dealing with slowing down on the ground is far preferred to not moving through the air fast enough to stay in the air.

Also, modern aircraft have safety systems to prevent spoilers/thrust reversers from inadvertently deploying in flight.

A "firm" landing allows the aircraft systems to identify that it is on the ground, enabling optimal braking/thrust reverser/spoiler deployment.

A firm contact will also mean optimum grip on the runway, which in contaminated conditions (such as standing water) will help prevent the aircraft from aquaplaning.

If the correct conditions are not met, the pilots will choose to "go around".
The crews will have briefed the procedure during the approach, and it is the "failsafe". A lot of pilots actually refer to a landing as a "rejected go-around"!.
hence, if you go back up, you should not be worried :o)

(personally, I see it as a second opportunity to check out the scenery!)
:o))

Oct. 29, 2008

Southwest Airlines
P.O. Box 36647 - 1CR
Dallas, Texas 75235-1647
Re: Oct. 18, 2008

Dear Sir/Madam:

On Oct. 18 I arrived at Love Field, having come from Illinois, visiting my sister who has cancer.

A passenger on my flight misdirected me to the basement when I inquired as to where to pick up my luggage and when I tried to come back through, an airport employee helped me back through the security checkpoint. Unfortunately, TSA nabbed me and informed me that I would have to go back and walk all the way around the airport outside till I found Baggage Claim myself, but they would not help me find the area. By this time, having chronic asthma, I began having an asthma attack due to anxiety.

Extremely upset, I found myself in the Southwest employee parking lot and it was only there that a female SW employee, seeing that I was crying hysterically and was distraught, walked up to me and offered to help. I wish I had gotten her name that night but perhaps you might post this letter on a bulletin board or somewhere where she might see it and realize how much she helped me. She personally drove me around to Baggage Claim, allowed me to use her cell phone to call my friend who had been waiting for me for 30 minutes, spoke to two police officers outside Baggage Claim about my situation, and saw to it that I found my waiting friend before leaving me.

I just wanted you to know how much I appreciated her kindness and that it really amazed me how she went out of her way to sympathize and help with my situation. I doubt any of the other airlines I’ve flown would have gone above and beyond the call of duty as she did.

Wherever, you are, Miss Southwest Employee, thank you from the bottom of my heart and please know that you truly made a difference in someone’s life that night.

Sincerely,

Terri Rimmer
Fort Worth, TX

TDR