Finally, it was the pilot of the RJ that told me of the crosswind limitation - not a permission from the tower, but from their on regulations based on the type of aircraft, etc - he had a crosswind indicator in the cockpit that told him it was too much, and he had to go around. Then he "called the office," and somehow the decision was made to try one more time before diverting. I think it was an Bombardier CRJ-145.
Yep, as he said, get your Dispatcher on the radio and discuss your situation and fuel status. It can get busy for the Dispatcher who might be working a half dozen flights at one time.
FWIW, Bombardier makes the CRJ-200/700/900 which looks like a miniature DC-9 (or MD-80). And Embraer makes the ERJ-145 that also looks like a miniature DC-9. They also make the ERJ-175/190 that looks like a miniature 737.
Isn't landing speed on the order of 170 knots? Or is that MPH? Just a quickie using 38 knots & 170 knots, you'd be pointed 13.6° away from the center line. Yikes!
Landing speed depends on gross weight AND slat/flap configuration. I typically see around 120 Knots Indicated Airspeed (KIAS) up to 150 KIAS if we're near max landing weight. Which compared to the BIG boys is pretty light, approximately 142,000 pounds.
Yeah, I much prefer the ERJ 175/190 series. Funny, as much as I've been a passenger I conflated the ERJ/CRJ numbering. The early CRJ's, at least, have the passenger window down so low that you have to bend over to gawk around while taxiing or to see the horizon in flight. I end up with a sore neck.
So now I'm back to the calculator... and if you're landing light at 120 knots, with a 38 knot direct crosswind, now you're up to 17.5° yaw... that'd be fun!
And speaking of diverting, here's a
thread diversion: I've often remarked to other passengers how we slowly descend from cruising altitude, and just gently make our way from ~510 mph & ~35K feet or so down to approach speeds & altitudes over the course of a half an hour or so. But the Space Shuttle used to pass over my sister's place in Florida, about 40 miles away from the Cape, at 90,000 ft. and mach 3, only to perform a dead stick landing about 5 minutes later at about 220 mph!
Of course, I'm also aware that airliners can take 'way more that they are usually subjected to, but hey...
Thanks for the info!