Key Takeaways:
- After the airline crew of a Boeing 777 and air traffic control missed a radio signal suggesting that another plane was still on the runway, two Air Canada flights narrowly escaped crashing at Toronto Pearson.
According to a new investigation, two Air Canada flights narrowly avoided crashing at Toronto Pearson after the airline staff of a Boeing 777 and air traffic control missed a radio communication indicating that another plane was still on the runway.
On Tuesday, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) published a report on the March 2020 incident at Toronto Pearson, which the Board described as a “runway intrusion and risk of collision.”
According to the TSB report, an Air Canada Embraer 190 was lifting off from Runway 06L just before 9:50 a.m… On its way to Denver, the jet was carrying 83 passengers, including four crew members.
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An Air Canada Boeing 777 was directed to line up on the same runway as the plane took off. 345 passengers, including 14 crew members, were on Board the plane bound for Halifax.
The TSB stated, “when the Embraer 190 was speeding on its takeoff roll, it struck a bird.” “The aircraft crew conducted a rejected takeoff as well as made a radio transmission to report that the takeoff had been rejected.”
According to the TSB, the Boeing 777 flight crew and air traffic control missed the Embraer 190’s rejected takeoff request because the Boeing 777’s pilot was reading back his takeoff clearance on the same frequency.
“Unaware of the bird strike and also the Embraer 190s rejected takeoff, the controller issued a takeoff clearance to the Boeing 777,” according to the report.
The Boeing 777 started to speed up.
“The controller then focused his attention for the next 25 seconds on the north end of the airport, where two planes were approaching Runway 05… He could see the Boeing 777 and also the Embraer 190 on his monitors, although there was no confrontation at the time. “According to the report,
According to the story, the Boeing 777 flight crew reached a top speed of 231 kilometers per hour before spotting the other plane in front of it and declining to take off.
According to the TSB, the two planes were separated by 5,000 feet at the time.
“While still uninformed of the Embraer 190’s location on the runway, the controller confirmed the denied takeoff with the flight crew and waited to assist the Boeing 777,” according to the investigation. “After searching for the Embraer 190s expected position (in the air, at the runway’s departure end), the controller noticed the Embraer 190 on the runway and recognized it had also conducted a rejected takeoff.”
According to the TSB, neither aircraft suffered any injuries or damage due to the event.
Source: CTV news
