SFO near miss might have triggered 'greatest aviation disaster in history'

[Eugene]

Source: San Jose Mercury News

Exclusive: SFO near miss might have triggered ‘greatest aviation disaster in history’

By MATTHIAS GAFNI | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: July 10, 2017 at 3:18 pm | UPDATED: July 11, 2017 at 9:10 am

SAN FRANCISCO — In what one aviation expert called a near-miss of what could have been the largest aviation disaster ever, an Air Canada pilot on Friday narrowly avoided a tragic mistake: landing on the San Francisco International Airport taxiway instead of the runway.

Sitting on Taxiway C shortly before midnight were four airplanes full of passengers and fuel awaiting permission to take off, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating the “rare” incident. An air traffic controller sent the descending Air Canada Airbus 320 on a “go-around” — an unusual event where pilots must pull up and circle around to try again — before the safe landing, according to the federal agency.

FAA investigators are still trying to determine how close the Air Canada aircraft came to landing and potentially crashing into the four aircraft below, but the apparent pilot error already has the aviation industry buzzing.

“If it is true, what happened probably came close to the greatest aviation disaster in history,” said retired United Airlines Capt. Ross Aimer, CEO of Aero Consulting Experts. He said he’s been contacted by pilots from across the country about the incident.

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Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/07/10/exclusive-sfo-near-miss-might-have-triggered-greatest-aviation-disaster-in-history/

[no_hypocrisy]

1. And consider that Trump fervently wants to PRIVATIZE the air traffic controllers.

Reagan decimating their union wasn't enough.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. Tenerife airport disaster

Tenerife airport disaster

On March 27, 1977, two Boeing 747 passenger jets collided on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport (now Tenerife North Airport), on the Spanish island of Tenerife, Canary Islands. The crash killed 583 people, making it the deadliest accident in aviation history. As a result of the complex interaction of organizational influences, environmental conditions, and unsafe acts leading up to this aircraft mishap, the disaster at Tenerife has served as a textbook example for reviewing the processes and frameworks used in aviation mishap investigations and accident prevention.

[Blue_Tires]

4. And it was SO avoidable, too

classic swiss cheese disaster...

[BSdetect]

5. And such unlikely Jumbo Jet crashes were supposed to be proof that nuclear power stations were safe.

Then 3 mile Island happened.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

3. "Go arounds" are not that unusual

They are part of any instrument pilot's training, whether in real live or the simulator.

Landing on the taxiway, which is outlined in blue lights, instead of the runway, which has white lights, is highly unusual, however.

[Laffy Kat]

6. Harrison Ford did the same thing not too long ago.

Except it was with a small private plane and he really did land on the taxi way, fortunately, w/o incident.