Personally I find there is little more obnoxious online than people shouting ‘fake!’ when presented with anything even slightly unusual but this photo has me wondering if it has been photoshopped or is for realz.
I know a little about aviation (not a lot but a little) and unless there is some trick of perspective in that shot I can’t figure out how the pilot is going to make the runway safely at that altitude and presumed glide angle.
Even if s/he travels in a completely horizontal line the gear is going to be skimming the beach by about twenty feet, and don’t most passenger jets come in at a glide angle of about 3 degrees, so the plane should be losing altitude.
Yep, that is Princess Juliana International Airport in Saint Maarten. The airport is somewhat unique because the the runway is barely long enough for some of the larger airliners it handles at about 7,500 feet and the beach is right behind it. Pilots don’t have a lot of room to play with.
Here are some more details:
"Because the approach to Runway 10 is over water, pilots can become disoriented regarding their perceived altitude when operating under visual flight rules. Normal instrument checks, coupled with experience and situational awareness, mitigate potential problems. The departure from Runway 10 presents more “difficulties” than the approach, with a turn required to avoid mountains in the departure path.
Arriving aircraft approach the island on the last section of the final approach for Runway 10, following a 3° glide slope flying low over the famous Maho Beach. Pictures of low flying aircraft were published in several news magazines worldwide in early 2000. The thrilling approaches and ease of access for shooting spectacular images, made the airport one of the world’s favorite places among planespotters. To meet changing international and local regulations a 150-metre (490 ft) safety extension was required."
Thanks for the answers everyone, but I should have been more precise in my OP. I’m aware of St Maarten and the low approach but it was that particular photo I was interested in, the airplane still seems very far away from the airport and very low down to make it safely to the runway, the aircraft shown in the videos and other photo’s aren’t nearly as oddly positioned.
But if the pilots and experts say its a legit photograph then that’s good enough for me.
That particualr picture is pretty old. Look at the airplane, engines, placement etc.
Back then the end of the runway was way closer to the beach.
The plane is probably doing 140MPH or better so it will be over the runway really soon. He is not at that instant descending on a 3° slope, IMO.
LSLGuy & Richard P can give real info about this particular picture but I can tell you from personal experience on that beach that I have see airliners just as low.
If the plane was really light and slowed to 120MPH, really really slow for that big a bird and at just a really minor tailwind, he is covering 176 feet per second so getting to the runway before running out of room seems very likely.
Lay down 200 feet from the touchdown point of any runway for big planes and take pictures. Scary in the extreme.
Anywho, not photo shopped.
I have not searched for accident on approach articles.
