Canada’s
transportation safety watchdog is sounding the alarm about runway
overruns, worried that foot-dragging by Ottawa on implementing tougher
safety regulations and an unwillingness by airports to install safety
measures are endangering the public.
The rate of runway overruns in Canada is twice the world average — and four times the world average when runways are wet.
An overrun occurs when a landing aircraft exceeds the available runway, running off the end.
With accidents showing little sign of decreasing, an exasperated Transportation Safety Board took the unusual step last month of taking to social media to make its point, tweeting a video expressing its concern.
“We first raised the
issue of runway overruns and landing accidents in 2010 with the launch
of our first safety watch list,” the safety board says in its video,
“but since then, the number of accidents has not significantly
decreased.
“This watchlist issue is one that can no longer be left unaddressed.”
“This is one area
where the board is concerned and would like Transport Canada to do
more,” says Mark Clitsome, the board’s director of investigations, air
branch.
The safety board, an
arm’s-length government agency mandated with investigating accidents and
making safety recommendations, says there were 12 runway overruns in
Canada in 2010 and nine in 2011.
There were 15 overruns in 2012, but the Safety Board cautions this figure is preliminary.
In 2005 an Air France A340 Airbus overran the runway while landing at Toronto’s Pearson
International Airport during a severe thunderstorm. The 297 passengers
and 12 crew members all survived, but the jet burst into flames and was
destroyed.
The Air France episode sparked TSB criticism of Canada’s lack of compliance with international standards. Canada is still not in compliance.
The International
Civil Aviation Organization mandates that there be a “runway end safety
area” of at least 90 metres beyond the end of any runway longer than
1,200 metres, and recommends a runway safety area of 240 metres.
The safety board
acknowledges the Greater Toronto Airports Authority has a 90-metre
overrun at Pearson, but it is immediately followed by a ravine, which
the Air France jet fell into after it overran the runway.
In its 2011 aviation
review, Transport Canada stated it is revising runway standards and
“will require certain designated certified aerodromes to install and
maintain a Runway End Safety Area.”
However, Transport
Canada said in an email these “revisions are not yet complete,” and
won’t be for years. It said it has “the objective of commencing public
consultations in late 2013 or early 2014.”
The Federal Aviation
Administration in the United States requires a runway end safety area at
major U.S. runways of at least 300 metres from the end of a runway.
Airports in the U.S.
that have found it difficult to meet FAA compliance due to obstacles in
place prior to implementation of runway safety area regulations have
started installing something called an “engineered material arresting
system” at the ends of runways. The system is a soft, crushable material
designed to slow an aircraft that has exceeded the runway landing area.
The safety board is
recommending airports in Canada install the arresting systems at runways
that are unsuitable for overrun areas due to space limitations. In
October 2012, Transport Canada issued an advisory to provide guidance
for the installation of arresting systems, but such an advisory cannot
mandate their installation.
“Currently, there are no airports in Canada with (the arresting system),” says Clitsome.
Clitsome acknowledges
Transport Canada is doing “some studies and some research based on our
recommendations, but we don’t know where or how far that’s developed.”
The safety board says
“Canada now lags behind international standards” because airports have
not installed overrun areas or arresting systems.
“The bottom line is,
if we don’t do anything to prevent landing accidents and runway
overruns, passengers, crew and aircraft will continue to be placed at
unnecessary risk of injury or damage,” says Clitsome.
Even though Transport
Canada acknowledges it does not yet have in place regulations mandating
overrun areas, it maintains “Canada has one of the safest aviation
systems in the world,” Transport Canada spokesperson Kelly James said in
an email.
“Between 2000 and 2011, Canada’s air transportation accident rate decreased by 25 percent.”
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