Pearson runway disaster prevented by quick action
Controller was worried jet would not stop as instructed as flight began takeoff roll
OTTAWA— A U.S. regional jet, same runways at Pearson — and a quick radio warning from an air traffic controller to prevent a close call.
Safety officials are probing yet another runway incursion that happened Monday at Canada’s busiest airport, a virtual carbon copy of past incidents that have spurred a review of runway operations by the Transportation Safety Board.
“Again, very similar to the other incursions,” Ewan Tasker, the safety board’s regional manager for air investigations, said Tuesday.
In Monday’s incident, an Embraer 175 regional jet operated by Republic Airline, had landed on runway 24 left at about 6:35 p.m. after a flight from Newark, N.J. The jet exited on to a taxiway at the end of the runway and a tower controller gave the pilots instructions to hold short of a parallel runway.
An Air Canada Boeing 787 bound for Zurich was cleared for departure on that parallel runway and began its takeoff roll.
But as has happened many times before, the controller, concerned that the jet was going a “little fast” and wasn’t going to stop as instructed, issued fresh instructions, Tasker said.
“Brickyard 3553, please stop there,” the controller said, using the airline’s call sign, according to a recording on the website liveatc.net.
The jet stopped, but just past the hold-short line that marks the boundary to the protected runway environment. At the time, the Air Canada jet was halfway down the parallel runway, accelerating quickly for takeoff, Tasker said.
Even if the regional jet entered the parallel runway, the Air Canada flight was safely airborne by that point, he said.
But Tasker said this latest event drives home the concerns around a recent rash of incursions involving the two parallel runways on the airport’s south side that has prompted the safety board to launch a special review of operations.
During busy periods, aircraft land on the outer runway and then taxi across the inner runway to reach the terminal buildings.
But in almost two dozen occasions in recent years, aircraft have failed to stop as instructed on a taxiway.
“The direct risk of collision on this individual event again, not extremely high, but change the circumstances a bit and that severity changes significantly,” Tasker said.
The review is looking at a host of factors — pilot and controller procedures, human factors, airport design — to find ways to minimize the high rate of incursions. One common factor — underscored by Monday’s incident — is that U.S. regional airlines are overwhelmingly involved in the majority of the incursions.
“That’s definitely something we need to analyze. Why is that? What are the U.S. crews used to? Are they used to something different?” Tasker said.
The fact prompted the head of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority to write to regional airlines several years ago to alert them to the problem.
The airport also made changes to lighting and pavement markings.
“We need to look at how much of an effect that did have. That’s part of the ongoing work,” Tasker said.
In a statement Tuesday, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, which operates Pearson, said it was taking additional steps to address the potential risks.
“We are stepping up our efforts with all parties in an attempt to address this situation as quickly as possible,” the statement said.
That includes reaching out to air carriers “to address the role they play in reducing incursions.”
The authority also wants a meeting “as soon as possible” with Nav Canada to discuss their processes and “ways to heighten awareness with pilots crews in order to reduce incursions,” the authority said in a statement to the Star.
“They’re constantly going up and down the runways scanning for that exact sort of thing.” PETER DUFFEY PRESIDENT, CANADIAN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL ASSOCIATION
Transport Canada is aware of the incident that prompted the Transportation Safety Board to deploy a team of investigators to Lester B. Pearson International Airport. The department is supporting and co-operating with the Transportation Safety Board in their assessment of the incident and have appointed a minister’s observer who will obtain factual information from the ongoing assessment, identify any issues relevant to the minister of transport’s responsibilities and co-ordinate the required support during the assessment.
Tasker said it’s certain that the quick intervention of controllers has prevented other runway incursions from happening.
Peter Duffey, president of the Canadian Air Traffic Control Association, which represents controllers, said such incidents underscore why controllers remain vigilant to ensure pilots are obeying instructions, especially in the fast-paced environment at Pearson.
“The controllers are banging stuff off and yet, as that guy rolled off the runway, he saw what was happening when he passed the stop line,” Duffey told the Star.
“That is literally a split-second decision and it is because they’re constantly going up and down the runways scanning for that exact sort of thing. It’s just part of what we do,” he said.