THIS is the terrifying moment an Air Canada plane almost landed directly on top of another aircraft at San Francisco International Airport. The never-seen-before footage shows the plane about to touch down on the runway when it violently backs up to avoid ploughing into the stationary Philippine Air jet. Grainy footage captured from an airport security camera shows the moment the Air Canada flight 759 is forced to abort its landing. According to US media, the plane came within five feet of the stationary aircraft. The pilot’s quick actions saved the lives of up to 1,000 people on four passenger jets on the runway at the time. Aviation experts claim that the dramatic near-miss, which took place on July 7 last year, could have resulted in one of the “greatest aviation disasters” in history. US Federal aviation investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released the footage and hundreds of pages of findings after a major probe was launched into … [Read more...] about Air Canada plane comes within FIVE FEET of landing on passenger jet on busy runway at San Francisco Airport
Airport runway lights
Bright lights baffled tired pilots before near-collision in San Francisco
Alan Levin, Bloomberg Published 2:07 pm, Wednesday, May 2, 2018 Construction lights were so bright they confused pilots of a fatigued Air Canada crew who nearly struck four aircraft on the ground while trying to land at night in July 2017 in San Francisco, according to preliminary reports. The National Transportation Safety Board on Wednesday released more than 500 pages of investigative reports, including a video recording of the July 7 event, but didn't conclude what caused the airliner to come within feet of a catastrophe. Both pilots reported feeling fatigue in the latter stages of their flight from Toronto. They were landing at about midnight local time, the equivalent of 3 a.m. where they had slept the night before, according to NTSB. The captain told investigators he may have gotten less than six hours of sleep and his rest had been disrupted by a late flight the previous night. As the Air Canada plane approached the runway, the copilot thought something "didn't look … [Read more...] about Bright lights baffled tired pilots before near-collision in San Francisco
The Latest: Airport says it has made safety improvements
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Latest on investigations into several close call incidents at San Francisco International Airport (all times local):12:30 p.m.A spokesman for San Francisco International Airport says several safety improvements have been made since December 2016, when a plane almost entered a busy runway.Airport spokesman Doug Yakel said Wednesday that more lights have been added to the runways; a confusing taxiway has been closed; and a ground radar system has been reinforced to give pilots a greater level of precision when landing.Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration re-certified the airport after an in-depth review of its operations.The FAA said in a report that three of the five close-calls involving aircraft reported in the past 16 months at the busy airport were caused by pilots.In another incident, a plane was mistakenly cleared to land on the wrong runway by a tower controller.———12:15 a.m.An Air Canada pilot says he aborted a landing … [Read more...] about The Latest: Airport says it has made safety improvements
The Latest: Minneapolis airport reopens after blizzard
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Latest on spring storms in the Midwest (all times local):11:15 p.m.Officials say one runway has reopened at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport hours after all flights were grounded during a spring blizzard.The airport halted all incoming and outgoing flights Saturday afternoon because of heavy snowfall and low visibility. Airport officials say the snow was coming down too fast for plows to keep the runways clear or for crews to keep the planes deiced.Airport spokesman Patrick Hogan tells The Associated Press that 469 flights were canceled before one runway reopened shortly after 10 p.m. He says crews will work overnight to get other runways open.The snowfall is part of a storm system stretching from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes. The system moved into the region Friday, bringing with it snow, tornadoes, rain and hail. At least three deaths have been attributed to the weather in Wisconsin, Nebraska and Louisiana.———10:10 … [Read more...] about The Latest: Minneapolis airport reopens after blizzard
The Latest: Minneapolis airport closes as storms hit Midwest
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Latest on spring storms in the Midwest (all times local):5:30 p.m.Officials have closed Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to arriving and departing flights as a powerful storm system sweeps through the central U.S.Airport officials cite the combination of heavy snow and low visibility Saturday. They say the snow is coming down too fast for plows to keep the runways clear or for crews to keep the planes de-iced.The airport shut down flight operations Saturday afternoon. Airport spokesman Pat Hogan tells WCCO Radio that officials hope to reopen at least one runway sometime Saturday night, weather permitting.Around 7 inches of snow had fallen at the airport by mid-afternoon.A storm system stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes has dumped a foot of snow on parts of the Upper Midwest. At least three deaths have been attributed to the storm.———2:45 p.m.Authorities say a Wisconsin woman was killed when her minivan lost … [Read more...] about The Latest: Minneapolis airport closes as storms hit Midwest