Narrative:

I flew my last 'retirement' flight. I planned and executed a final pass and salute to anc runway 14 in honor of all those military and civilian instructors chief pilots and 'bosses' who so patiently mentored me throughout my aviation career, and to the military and all the fine air carrier companies for whom I have worked. I called zan prior to letdown and asked if they would coordinate with anc approach/tower for a 600 ft pass over runway 14 with a 'right break' to a right downwind and landing on runway 14. The maneuver was approved by all controling agencies involved, with tower giving us clearance for 'any altitude, any airspeed' (a quote). I lined up with the runway at 4 NM, 600 ft MSL (500 ft AGL), 360 KIAS. Abeam the tower I made a right break at 45 degree angle of bank to downwind, dirtied up and did a short final to land on runway 14. If I exceeded 45 degree angle of bank, it was only momentary and unintentional. At no time was the aircraft 'out of control,' nor did I endanger the crew (first officer and international relief officer) or the aircraft. However, in the heat of the moment, I did accelerate to 360 KIAS instead of flying the 250 KIAS I had planned. Tower's clearance to fly 'any altitude, any airspeed' did not clear me to exceed far limits. In execution, the above maneuver is non-standard for sure. However, I think that it should be permitted to be flown at a designated altitude and airspeed in such cases as mine, where a pilot's final landing will be made. Supplemental information from acn 597938: the flight was commanded by a captain on his final flight before his retirement. He was assisted by a first officer and an international relief officer. Request was made of zan to pass on to anc approach for an overflt of the anc airport on runway 14 with r-hand overhead patterns. ATC approved altitude and airspeed at the captain's discretion. The overhead r-hand pattern was completed with airspeed as high as 350 KTS, bank angle as great as 65 degrees, altitude as low as 250 ft AGL, with a maximum of 2 loading and associated egpws and bank angle warnings. There should be a dignified and safe final flight program for pilots to salute a lifetime of aviation achievements sanctioned by both the FAA and their respective flight departments. Supplemental information from acn 597510: during the turn to downwind the PF banked the plane as much as 65 degrees momentarily to avoid crossing over runway 6L, which was also active but there were no aircraft within 4 mi of the airport. The plane was then safely maneuvered to a normal landing and there was no damage or injuries.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC OF A CARGO B767 FLT MAKES A HIGH SPD 360 KT, LOW ALT, 250 FT AGL, PASS WITH A 65 DEG BANK OVER THE RWY FOR A 'FINAL PASS' APCH AND FINAL 'RETIREMENT' LNDG AT ZZZ, US.

Narrative: I FLEW MY LAST 'RETIREMENT' FLT. I PLANNED AND EXECUTED A FINAL PASS AND SALUTE TO ANC RWY 14 IN HONOR OF ALL THOSE MIL AND CIVILIAN INSTRUCTORS CHIEF PLTS AND 'BOSSES' WHO SO PATIENTLY MENTORED ME THROUGHOUT MY AVIATION CAREER, AND TO THE MIL AND ALL THE FINE ACR COMPANIES FOR WHOM I HAVE WORKED. I CALLED ZAN PRIOR TO LETDOWN AND ASKED IF THEY WOULD COORDINATE WITH ANC APCH/TWR FOR A 600 FT PASS OVER RWY 14 WITH A 'R BREAK' TO A R DOWNWIND AND LNDG ON RWY 14. THE MANEUVER WAS APPROVED BY ALL CTLING AGENCIES INVOLVED, WITH TWR GIVING US CLRNC FOR 'ANY ALT, ANY AIRSPD' (A QUOTE). I LINED UP WITH THE RWY AT 4 NM, 600 FT MSL (500 FT AGL), 360 KIAS. ABEAM THE TWR I MADE A R BREAK AT 45 DEG ANGLE OF BANK TO DOWNWIND, DIRTIED UP AND DID A SHORT FINAL TO LAND ON RWY 14. IF I EXCEEDED 45 DEG ANGLE OF BANK, IT WAS ONLY MOMENTARY AND UNINTENTIONAL. AT NO TIME WAS THE ACFT 'OUT OF CTL,' NOR DID I ENDANGER THE CREW (FO AND IRO) OR THE ACFT. HOWEVER, IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT, I DID ACCELERATE TO 360 KIAS INSTEAD OF FLYING THE 250 KIAS I HAD PLANNED. TWR'S CLRNC TO FLY 'ANY ALT, ANY AIRSPD' DID NOT CLR ME TO EXCEED FAR LIMITS. IN EXECUTION, THE ABOVE MANEUVER IS NON-STANDARD FOR SURE. HOWEVER, I THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE PERMITTED TO BE FLOWN AT A DESIGNATED ALT AND AIRSPD IN SUCH CASES AS MINE, WHERE A PLT'S FINAL LNDG WILL BE MADE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 597938: THE FLT WAS COMMANDED BY A CAPT ON HIS FINAL FLT BEFORE HIS RETIREMENT. HE WAS ASSISTED BY A FO AND AN INTL RELIEF OFFICER. REQUEST WAS MADE OF ZAN TO PASS ON TO ANC APCH FOR AN OVERFLT OF THE ANC ARPT ON RWY 14 WITH R-HAND OVERHEAD PATTERNS. ATC APPROVED ALT AND AIRSPD AT THE CAPT'S DISCRETION. THE OVERHEAD R-HAND PATTERN WAS COMPLETED WITH AIRSPD AS HIGH AS 350 KTS, BANK ANGLE AS GREAT AS 65 DEGS, ALT AS LOW AS 250 FT AGL, WITH A MAX OF 2 LOADING AND ASSOCIATED EGPWS AND BANK ANGLE WARNINGS. THERE SHOULD BE A DIGNIFIED AND SAFE FINAL FLT PROGRAM FOR PLTS TO SALUTE A LIFETIME OF AVIATION ACHIEVEMENTS SANCTIONED BY BOTH THE FAA AND THEIR RESPECTIVE FLT DEPTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 597510: DURING THE TURN TO DOWNWIND THE PF BANKED THE PLANE AS MUCH AS 65 DEGS MOMENTARILY TO AVOID XING OVER RWY 6L, WHICH WAS ALSO ACTIVE BUT THERE WERE NO ACFT WITHIN 4 MI OF THE ARPT. THE PLANE WAS THEN SAFELY MANEUVERED TO A NORMAL LNDG AND THERE WAS NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.