=2D----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Thsi is scary. It's happened a few time though.. Didn't a Northwest DC-10 attempt, and possibly even complete an approach at= =20 Brussels when the intended was Frankfurt back in the 90s? And didn't Saudia= =20 actually manage to get a 747 into a tiny airport in Northern India? Regards, David On Thursday 04 September 2003 20:03, mgreenwood@xxxxxxxxx wrote: > 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=3D3DBEF550EE-8874-4E85-A= 564- > >=3D20=3D > > > > 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 = =3D20 > > 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 > > > > =3DA0 > > > > Tom Blackwell > > > > National Post > > > > > > Officials are trying to determine why an Air Canada jetliner with 87 = =3D20 > > passengers on board appeared on the verge of landing at the wrong =3D20 > > airport, head-on toward another plane, after becoming "lost" over =3D20 > > mountainous British Columbia terrain recently. > > > > A small Cessna was attempting to touch down at the opposite end of the > > =3D20=3D > > > > same runway at tiny Vernon airport and veered out of the way, in an =3D= 20 > > incident one aviation insider called a "huge embarrassment." > > > > Had the Airbus A319 from Toronto landed, it would have faced major =3D20 > > problems, because the strip is too short for such planes. > > > > The Air Canada pilots, who were making a visual approach because of =3D= 20 > > restrictions imposed by nearby forest fires, finally pulled back up. = =3D20 > > After air traffic controllers informed them they were in the wrong =3D20 > > place, the pilots flew 60 kilometres south to Kelowna, the correct =3D20 > > destination, and landed safely. > > > > "The pilots descended low enough that, for all intents and purposes, = =3D20 > > they appeared to be lost, and that's a concern," said Bill Yearwood, = =3D20 > > regional manager of the Transportation Safety Board. > > > > "It is important for aircraft and pilots and operations to always know > > =3D20=3D > > > > where they are and where they're going." > > > > The safety board has launched an investigation into the incident, which > > =3D20=3D > > > > occurred just before 7 p.m. on Aug. 23, concerned about how and why the > > =3D20=3D > > > > plane got so low that it lost sight of its intended destination. Mr. = =3D20 > > Yearwood said it is unlikely the incident could have resulted in an =3D= 20 > > accident, because visibility was good and the crew would have been able > > =3D20=3D > > > > to avoid any obstacles, even if they were lost. > > > > They also would have eventually noticed they were at the wrong airport > > =3D20=3D > > > > and avoided landing at Vernon, he said. > > > > But one airline industry source called the episode unheard of for =3D20 > > pilots of a modern plane with cutting-edge navigational systems. > > > > "It's a huge embarrassment," said the source, a pilot who asked not to > > =3D20=3D > > > > be identified. > > > > "My guess is the guys just had their heads out the window and weren't > > =3D20=3D > > > > aware of where they were ... Truth is, this could have been very =3D20 > > serious." > > > > The flight management system aboard an Airbus has a "moving map" =3D20 > > display that shows the plane's position relative to airports. It should > > =3D20=3D > > > > have made it clear Air Canada Flight 183 was in the wrong spot, the =3D= 20 > > pilot said. > > > > Runway 23 at Vernon is 3,360 feet long, less than the minimum of about > > =3D20=3D > > > > 3,800 feet needed to land such a plane, a discrepancy that could have > > =3D20=3D > > > > led to an over-run of the strip, the source said. > > > > Laura Cooke, an Air Canada spokeswoman, said she could offer few =3D20 > > comments about the incident while it is under investigation, except =3D= 20 > > that the plane made one approach, did a "go around," meaning the =3D20 > > approach was aborted, then landed safely. > > > > The raging forest fires in the region helped set up the incident. The > > =3D20=3D > > > > flight carrying 87 passengers and a crew of five would normally have = =3D20 > > landed at Kelowna using instruments. But using instruments could have > > =3D20=3D > > > > led the plane into restricted airspace, where water bombers and =3D20 > > firefighting helicopters need to fly unimpeded, Mr. Yearwood said. > > > > For that reason, the Air Canada crew was told to make a visual =3D20 > > approach. While airlines have pre-set procedures for visual landings at > > =3D20=3D > > > > different airports, Air Canada has no such guidelines for approaching > > =3D20=3D > > > > Kelowna runway 15 in that direction. The crew had to come up with its > > =3D20=3D > > > > own plan. > > > > For reasons yet to be determined, the pilots descended so low, to about > > =3D20=3D > > > > 2,100 feet eventually, that they lost sight of Kelowna airport, Mr. =3D= 20 > > Yearwood said. > > > > They were soon "lined up" with the runway at Vernon airport, and pilots > > =3D20=3D > > > > at that airfield reported the Air Canada jet appeared on the approach > > =3D20=3D > > > > to land there, he said. However, the board has not determined whether > > =3D20=3D > > > > the crew did try to touch down at the wrong airport. > > > > An occurrence report filed with Transport Canada by air traffic =3D20 > > controllers said they got a call moments later from the pilot of a =3D20 > > Cessna 152 who said he had been preparing to land at one end of Vernon > > =3D20=3D > > > > runway 23 when he saw the Airbus coming in from the other direction. > > > > The Cessna pilot with Okanagan Aviation Services "gave way and observed > > =3D20=3D > > > > the aircraft in the missed approach," the report said. > > > > Mr. Yearwood said it is unclear how close the aircraft were to each =3D= 20 > > other. > > > > "Certainly it would make a big impression on a little pilot that =3D20 > > doesn't normally see big airplanes in the area, coming at him from the > > =3D20=3D > > > > other side," he said. > > > > The Cessna pilot declined to comment. > > > > > > tblackwell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > =3DA9=3DA0Copyright=3DA02003=3DA0National Post=3D =2D----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.2 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQE/V5ONKsvwCXwmAPgRAhC8AJ9IaD6AiQxo5lQVpjKWF77aaqx+wQCfRcmJ rNb7Ub5E9FCFir+9YQffmX8=3D =3DXHl8 =2D----END PGP SIGNATURE-----