Recommends Lengthening Runways, New Severe WX Rules

A call to lengthen runways and new rules governing landing procedures during thunderstorms are just two of the recommendations from Canada's Transportation Safety Board, following the August 2005 runway overrun accident involving an Airbus A340 operating for Air France.

As ANN reported, Air France Flight 348 skidded off the runway at Toronto's Pearson International Airport as it landed during a fierce thunderstorm. Amazingly, all 309 passengers and crew were able to escape the burning wreckage, though 10 were seriously injured in the August 2, 2005 accident.

In its final report issued Wednesday, the TSB recommended Transport Canada mandate 300-meter overrun areas be added to each end of all Canadian runways. TSB chair Wendy Tadros noted that's already an international standard.

"We think more needs to be done to make sure aircraft will always touch down safely," Tadros said. If insufficient space is available for such overrun areas, alternate methods to stop a runaway aircraft must be devised.

Other recommendations include new rules about landing in thunderstorms, as well as increased training for pilots and flight crews. Suggested measures include a requirement compute required landing distances ahead of touchdown, taking weather conditions into account -- something many crews don't do, reports CBC News.

The report also recommends cabin crews instruct passengers to leave their carry-on baggage behind during an evacuation; apparently, a few persons tried to take their bags with them while escaping Flight 348.

As for the cause of the accident, it isn't difficult to see what went wrong. TSB Lead Investigator Réal Levasseur said the pilot continued his approach despite heavy rain and wind shear, that created a strong tailwind as the A340 approached.

"The pilot committed to landing, as he believed that this action was safer than conducting a missed approach into the storm," Levasseur said.

Despite evidence of judgment errors in its report, TSB investigations director Nick Stoss took steps to assert the agency does not blame the pilot for the accident.

"After we release our reports, the headlines will sometimes read: 'TSB blames the pilot.' Nothing can be further from the truth," he said. "I can tell you this... crew was not the first one to make the same decisions in much of the same conditions.

"In fact, the accident record shows the potential for landing accidents in bad weather remains today," Stoss added, noting another 10 large airliners have departed runways on landing since the Air France accident.

"At the TSB, we believe that accidents speak to a failure in the system," Stoss said. "If we don't do something to change the system, accidents such as this runway overrun will needlessly happen again."

Transport Minister Lawrence Canon said he takes the TSB recommendations seriously, and plans to act on them.

"Transport Canada fully supports the intent of the recommendations made today and departmental officials are currently reviewing the contents of the report," Canon Wednesday in a press release. "Our government's priority is to help ensure the safety and security of the transportation system."

FMI: www.tsb.gc.ca