The Airbus A320-200 plane was accelerating to takeoff for Goa, India, when the crew saw a vehicle on the runway and rejected takeoff at high speed.

The plane safely retuned to the apron.

Everyone aboard remained unharmed.

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What: unauthorized vehicle
Where: Phoenix Sky Harbor
When: Nov 16, 2012
Who: 2 aboard
Why: Reports say that Koko Nicole Anderson was intoxicated on drugs when the car she was driving barged through a partially closed gate and onto a runway while driving with her two month old child in the car. The gate was being tested when Anderson drove through it. She struck a portable toilet and kept driving until an officer rammed her car.

Anderson’s mother says the girl was not on drugs but suffering from bi-polar disorder.

The intoxicated driver with a history of mental illness was taken into custody, and booked into jail on aggravated DUI and criminal damage charges.

An expert determined that the intoxication was related to drugs instead of alcohol. In order to safeguard planes from being either accidentally or intentionally struck by misguided drivers, the airport is considering beefing up security with airport gates that include additional pop-up barriers.

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There were 48 passengers aboard at the time. Pilots were taxiing to the runway for takeoff when the truck intruded into their trajectory. The ATR’s fuselage sustained damage. Passengers disembarked and were provided an alternative plane.

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What: Air Contractors Avion de Regional Transport ATR-72-200 en route from Paris to Hamburg
Where: Hamburg
When: Feb 8th 2012
Why: The ATR was moving into a holding position short of runway 33 while an Aer Lingus Airbus was taking off from runway 33. Witnesses said that it appeared that the ATR was accelerating. Prompted by an urgent ATC warning, they stopped close to runway 33.

After the Airbus took off, they reported back to ATC that they had seen the ATR.

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What: Intersky de Havilland Dash 8-300 en route from Berlin Tegel to Friedrichshafen
Where: Berlin
When: Dec 14th 2011
Who: 21 passengers
Why: The flight was about to depart when an unauthorized vehicle cut across the runway right in the plane’s path.

Pilots jerked the plane to a stop, injuring a flight attendant who had to be hospitalized.

The flight was cancelled.

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What: China Airlines Airbus A330-300 en route from Taipei to Hong Kong
Where: Taipei
When: Aug 19th 201
Who: 288 passengers
Why: As the China Airlines Airbus was accelerating for takeoff, a private jet was also taxiing on to the same runway after landing. ATC caught the runway incursion and prevented an inevitable collision, and held the China Airlines Airbus flight, delaying the takeoff by an hour.

The pilots of the South Africa registered aircraft reported they had been instructed to taxi taxiway NC to the end. At a crossing, they requested direction and were told to turn right onto taxiway NC. They made an error based on unclear signage turning back on to the runway instead of to the taxiway.

Just another everyday incursion.

Ok, someone needs to commend Taipei ATC on a pretty stupendous catch. From this side of the screen, it looks like this was a practically inevitable disaster.

And do I have to say that someone needs to fix the signs? Something needs to be amended there so that even pilots unfamiliar with the airport can see which is the on ramp and which is the off ramp.

I’m just saying.

Good job, ATC.

Satellite view:

View airport PDF

The post ATC Catches Runway Incursion, China Airbus Possible Collision first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

What: Lufthansa Airbus A340-600 en from New York to Munich

Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Howard Pain

What: Egyptair Boeing 777-300 en route from New York Cairo
Where: JFK’s runway 22R
When: Jun 20th 2011

Why: The Lufthansa Airbus was next and at high speed when ATC cancelled their clearance. Lufthansa subsequently rejected takeoff and slowed. Takeoff was delayed for about two hours, until after brakes were checked.

Simultaneously, the Egyptair Boeing was taxiing for departure and holding, but missed their turn and accidentally turned on to runway 22. The Egyptair flight vacated the runway as directed. The flight took off 75 minutes later.

The post Lufthansa and Egyptair Close Call first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

What: Air Busan Boeing 737-400 en route from Fukuoka (Japan) to Busan (South Korea)
Where: Fukuoka Japan
When: Dec 26th 2010
Who: 153 aboard
Why: When cleared for takeoff, the Air Busan flight was taxiing when it went performed a runway incursion as a Jal Express Boeing was on final approach. The incursion casued a collision hazard/ loss of separation with an aircraft taking off, intending to take off, landing or intending to land. The Jal had to perform a go-around, but landed safely less than half an hour later. Then the Air Busan flight took off normally.

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What: South African Express Airways de Havilland Dash 8-300 en route from Johannesburg to Kimberly (South Africa),
Where: Kimberly (South Africa)
When: Jul 16th 2010
Why: On landing, the nose gear of the plane struck an aardvark on the runway, damaging the nose gear. There’s no indication of the aardvark’s condition.

The post Aardvark Strike first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

What: KLM Boeing 737-300 en route from Amsterdam to Warsaw
Where: Amsterdam
When: Feb 10 2010
Why: After being cleared to take off on one runway, the flight actually took off from the taxiway. No incident ensued, and the flight continued to its destination.

Amsterdam Schiphol airport is reportedly supposed to be a confusing airport which recently changed its runway markings; and at the time of incident, it was sunset, and had supposedly snowed, which may have obscured the yellow taxiway/white runway distinctions, although there was good visibility. Hopefully the investigation will be used to make negotiating the runways safer.

http://www.nu.nl/algemeen/2182654/vliegtuig-steeg-taxibaan.html

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What: Cargolux Boeing 747-400 freighter en route from Barcelona, to Luxembourg
Where: Luxembourg
When: Jan 21st 2010
Why: While landing in low visibility due to foggy conditions, the Cargolux 747’s tires went through the roof of a maintenance truck whose crew was working on the runway ground lighting. The van’s driver was not hurt; the van was damaged by being landed on by the 747 (no doubt!), and the Boeing’s tires were damaged after going through the van’s roof. No one, however, was hurt, although the maintenance person was hospitalized for shock.

George’s Point of View

I would be shocked too, if a Boeing landed on my roof while I was working. If it were I who’d been landed on, I’d have to change my name to Chicken Little, because I’d never again trust that the sky wasn’t falling. (I hope this guy is well insured, because even if he’s physically ok, he’s going to need therapy.)

On the other hand, that is why I don’t work on a runway. (And if I did, it would be in Thousand Oaks, California, not Luxembourg.)

One does wonder if the maintenance vehicle was cleared, or precisely who was supposed to be where at that exact moment. Perhaps the maintenance was going on specifically because of the foggy conditions. It does sound like someone was not exactly in the right place at the right time. Or perhaps, someone in HR did not like the maintenance guy very much, and their brother-in-law was in line for that position if it opens up.

Luxembourg is investigating to see what what wrong, and how and why. (Luxembourg is 998.6 sq mi in area. Rhode Island is 1,545 square miles. I know size doesn’t matter, but Luxembourg is still smaller than our smallest state. Bigger than DC though.)

The Administration of Technical Investigations is determining the cause of the accident in order to recommendation measures to avoid a reoccurrence. (See 4 rules below.)

The Directorate of Civil Aviation will conduct an investigation regarding compliance with established procedure. (If the procedure is not to stay out of the path of incoming planes, I recommend changing established procedure.)

The Administration of Air Navigation is doing an internal administrative investigation. I.E. Where will the hammer fall.

Hello. To avoid a plane landing on somebody, follow these simple rules:

• Rule Number One. Stay off the runway.
• Rule Number Two. If you’re landing a plane, and they tell you to land on a runway, make sure there’s no one on it so you don’t land on them.
• Rule Number Three. If you’re not landing a plane, don’t go on the runway unless you work there. Even if you work at the airport, and they tell you to fix the runway lights, make sure no one is going to use that runway while you’re fixing the lights.
• Rule Number Four. If the visibility is low and you can’t tell if the runway is clear, and you’re supposed to land on the runway but you can’t see it, tell ATC that if it is humanly possible, they have to find you someplace to land where there’s enough visibility to see to land.
• Rule Number Four-C. (otherwise known as the Life is Not a Cartoon rule). If something is directly behind you, get out of the way. This means moving left or right, out of the path of the incoming vehicle, not moving forward. If something motorized is directly behind you running directly in front of it WILL NOT HELP. ( Even the roadrunner and Wiley Coyote knew this.)

Not that aviation is actually that simplistic. It will be months before a legitimate opinion clears the committees. And of course, it is a good day when everyone gets out alive.

Boeing is the world’s leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined. It is still headquartered in Chicago and California

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What: Vueling Airbus A320-200 en route from Barcelona Spain to Milan Italy
Where: Milan
When: Nov 29th 2009
Who: 130 passengers
Why: On approach to the runway, the pilots saw a vehicle on the runway. The pilots performed a go-around, and landed safely on their second pass.

The post Runway Incursion causes Airbus Go-Around in Milan first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.