Close Call on Calgary Runway

Transportation Safety Board Claims Two Planes Missed Impact With Each Other by 14 Seconds.

The opening of a seldom utilized path as well as failing co-ordination in between a ground controller and also the trip tower led to 2 airplanes at Calgary International Airport terminal missing each other by simply 14 secs, states Canada's Transportation Safety Board.

 

An examination record launched by the agency Monday discovered that on Dec. 2, 2016, Air Canada flight 221 had been okay-ed for takeoff on rarely utilized Path 29 at the very same time a Sunwest freight airplane was cleared to taxi along a runway that converged the east-west path.

 

Investigators located solid western winds which motivated flight terminal authorities to open up the seldom used path, converged by a taxiway that ground controllers frequently removed for airplane automobile use, without previous co-ordination with the control tower.

 

“During the takeoff roll, the flight crew saw a Sunwest Aviation cargo aircraft crossing Runway 29 on Taxiway A,” the record read.

 

“Because the Sunwest aircraft was more than halfway across Runway 29 at that time, the Air Canada crew elected to continue with the takeoff, which was completed without further incident.”

 

A timeline of occasions prepared by the TSB discovered both airplanes had actually been independently removed by the ground controller as well as the control tower, which inevitably caused what the TSB called a "path attack." In accordance with the timeline, the freight airplane went across the centre line of Path 29 simply 14 secs prior to the Air Canada flight that went across the taxiway air-borne, at around 250 km/h.

 

“The investigation determined that the runway incursion occurred after the ground controller cleared the Sunwest aircraft to cross Runway 29, while the Air Canada flight was departing,” the record claimed.

 

“The ground controller, who was simultaneously overseeing the movement of two other aircraft, inadvertently applied the usual practice of clearing aircraft to cross Runway 29 without co-ordinating with the tower controller.”

 

In accordance with the TSB, there have actually been 4 other path attacks that include Path 29 considering that the flight terminal started running identical path procedures in 2014.

 

Because the occurrence, Nav Canada (the not-for-profit firm that has and also runs Canada's civil air navigating system) has actually executed brand-new treatments consisting of much better interaction when the path is open, a brand-new "display" control setting as well as alterations to the computer screen system in addition to various other procedures.

 

A declaration from airport terminal authorities claimed they remain to function very closely with Nav Canada on precaution.

 

“Safety is a critical component of everything we do at YYC. We continue to be actively engaged with Nav Canada to advance safety systems and procedures at YYC, and we support the additional processes that have been implemented at Calgary International Airport,” it stated.

 

“Nav Canada is a key partner in ensuring our airlines and passengers are safe and we will continue to work closely and collaborate with Nav Canada as YYC continues to grow.”

 

In between 2011 and also 2015, the TSB tape-recorded 2,041 path attacks at Canadian flight terminals, 27 which were considered significant. In 2016, there were 411 such attacks, 21 of those severe.