Where was ATC in all of this? Is Kelowna a controlled airport? Shouldn't they have noticed that the plane wasn't where it was supposed to be? Mark Quoting Matthew Montano <mmontano@xxxxxxxxx>: > http://www.nationalpost.com/home/story.html?id=3DBEF550EE-8874-4E85-A564-=20= > > 02697EF3B94C > > This one takes the cake. > > I didn't know the compass was part of an instrument approach. ;-) > > The Vernon field could hardly be confused with the Kelowna field, as =20 > they are both at about 60' to each other. > > Matthew > > 'Lost' Air Canada plane nearly hits B.C. Cessna > Impeded by fires, Airbus approaches too-short airstrip > > =A0 > > Tom Blackwell > > National Post > > > Officials are trying to determine why an Air Canada jetliner with 87 =20 > passengers on board appeared on the verge of landing at the wrong =20 > airport, head-on toward another plane, after becoming "lost" over =20 > mountainous British Columbia terrain recently. > > A small Cessna was attempting to touch down at the opposite end of the =20= > > same runway at tiny Vernon airport and veered out of the way, in an =20 > incident one aviation insider called a "huge embarrassment." > > Had the Airbus A319 from Toronto landed, it would have faced major =20 > problems, because the strip is too short for such planes. > > The Air Canada pilots, who were making a visual approach because of =20 > restrictions imposed by nearby forest fires, finally pulled back up. =20 > After air traffic controllers informed them they were in the wrong =20 > place, the pilots flew 60 kilometres south to Kelowna, the correct =20 > destination, and landed safely. > > "The pilots descended low enough that, for all intents and purposes, =20 > they appeared to be lost, and that's a concern," said Bill Yearwood, =20 > regional manager of the Transportation Safety Board. > > "It is important for aircraft and pilots and operations to always know =20= > > where they are and where they're going." > > The safety board has launched an investigation into the incident, which > =20= > > occurred just before 7 p.m. on Aug. 23, concerned about how and why the > =20= > > plane got so low that it lost sight of its intended destination. Mr. =20 > Yearwood said it is unlikely the incident could have resulted in an =20 > accident, because visibility was good and the crew would have been able > =20= > > to avoid any obstacles, even if they were lost. > > They also would have eventually noticed they were at the wrong airport =20= > > and avoided landing at Vernon, he said. > > But one airline industry source called the episode unheard of for =20 > pilots of a modern plane with cutting-edge navigational systems. > > "It's a huge embarrassment," said the source, a pilot who asked not to =20= > > be identified. > > "My guess is the guys just had their heads out the window and weren't =20= > > aware of where they were ... Truth is, this could have been very =20 > serious." > > The flight management system aboard an Airbus has a "moving map" =20 > display that shows the plane's position relative to airports. It should > =20= > > have made it clear Air Canada Flight 183 was in the wrong spot, the =20 > pilot said. > > Runway 23 at Vernon is 3,360 feet long, less than the minimum of about =20= > > 3,800 feet needed to land such a plane, a discrepancy that could have =20= > > led to an over-run of the strip, the source said. > > Laura Cooke, an Air Canada spokeswoman, said she could offer few =20 > comments about the incident while it is under investigation, except =20 > that the plane made one approach, did a "go around," meaning the =20 > approach was aborted, then landed safely. > > The raging forest fires in the region helped set up the incident. The =20= > > flight carrying 87 passengers and a crew of five would normally have =20 > landed at Kelowna using instruments. But using instruments could have =20= > > led the plane into restricted airspace, where water bombers and =20 > firefighting helicopters need to fly unimpeded, Mr. Yearwood said. > > For that reason, the Air Canada crew was told to make a visual =20 > approach. While airlines have pre-set procedures for visual landings at > =20= > > different airports, Air Canada has no such guidelines for approaching =20= > > Kelowna runway 15 in that direction. The crew had to come up with its =20= > > own plan. > > For reasons yet to be determined, the pilots descended so low, to about > =20= > > 2,100 feet eventually, that they lost sight of Kelowna airport, Mr. =20 > Yearwood said. > > They were soon "lined up" with the runway at Vernon airport, and pilots > =20= > > at that airfield reported the Air Canada jet appeared on the approach =20= > > to land there, he said. However, the board has not determined whether =20= > > the crew did try to touch down at the wrong airport. > > An occurrence report filed with Transport Canada by air traffic =20 > controllers said they got a call moments later from the pilot of a =20 > Cessna 152 who said he had been preparing to land at one end of Vernon =20= > > runway 23 when he saw the Airbus coming in from the other direction. > > The Cessna pilot with Okanagan Aviation Services "gave way and observed > =20= > > the aircraft in the missed approach," the report said. > > Mr. Yearwood said it is unclear how close the aircraft were to each =20 > other. > > "Certainly it would make a big impression on a little pilot that =20 > doesn't normally see big airplanes in the area, coming at him from the =20= > > other side," he said. > > The Cessna pilot declined to comment. > > > tblackwell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > =A9=A0Copyright=A02003=A0National Post= >