Why was the plane flown through close proximity to the runway rather than landing there?

Why was the plane flown through close proximity to the runway rather than landing there? - Photo of Airplane Flying From Runway

In the series Scorpion, they were trying to download a copy of the software from what's left behind on a plane, and from what I understood, the reason they were doing this was that without this software, they wouldn't be able to land the plane because the control tower was offline and they wouldn't be able to guide the planes. However, the climax scene depicts a scene where Walter drives a Ferrari at >200 mph below the plane that's 8 or 10 feet above the ground on a runway while Paige connects a LAN cable from the plane to the laptop.

Why couldn't they land the plane instead? They had clear visibility of the runway, were 8 feet above the ground, and from what's seen on the scenes, there weren't any other planes on the runway either. What has prevented them from landing there at that moment and taxying it to the respective dock or bay?

I asked this question in scifi.stackexchange.com here because I thought it was science fiction, but I was suggested to ask it here instead.



Best Answer

There's a comment that the runways at Klemmer Airfield are too short to land a commercial airliner.

I still think it's the wrong play; the runways are too short there.

In addition, they aren't dealing with a single aircraft, they're trying to save 56 planes with barely minutes to do it in. Landing this aircraft would probably take too long since it would have to stop and the they would have to get on board to complete the software download.




Pictures about "Why was the plane flown through close proximity to the runway rather than landing there?"

Why was the plane flown through close proximity to the runway rather than landing there? - White Passenger Plane on Airport
Why was the plane flown through close proximity to the runway rather than landing there? - White Air Canada Plane on Green Grass
Why was the plane flown through close proximity to the runway rather than landing there? - Photo of Aircraft Wing



Why does an airplane go-around the runway before take off?

Most planes use a long runway before takeoff to gain enough speed for the plane to lift up into the air. Most airplanes can take off only if they are moving fast enough.

Why is it preferable for airplanes to take off into the wind rather than with the wind?

In this case of takeoff, the fast air bearing down on the plane generates an upward force on the wings (analogous to a gun's recoil), which helps lift the aircraft. In short, pilots like to take off into a headwind because it helps them achieve "wheels up" faster.

How far is the airplane from the runway when it is on final approach?

Is there a set distance for this? A: Most runways used by commercial jets have an Instrument Landing System (ILS) providing electronic lateral and vertical guidance. An average ILS approach has the Final Approach Fix (FAF) approximately 6 miles from touchdown.

Why do planes almost land and go back up?

In aviation, a go-around is an aborted landing of an aircraft that is on final approach or has already touched down. A go-around can either be initiated by the pilot flying or requested by air traffic control for various reasons, such as an unstabilized approach or an obstruction on the runway.



WHY did This Airplane MISS the RUNWAY? | Qantas flight 001




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Images: Jerry Wang, Jerry Wang, Vincent Albos, Matt Hardy