British Airways 747’s Wing Slices Into Johannesburg Building

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Damn!

British Airways 747’s Wing Slices Into Johannesburg Building

A British Airways jumbo jet carrying 202 passengers and crew sliced into an office building at Johannesburg’s main airport after following the wrong taxiway prior to takeoff for London, injuring four people on the ground.

The Boeing Co. (BA) 747-400, with a wingspan of 211 feet (64 meters), had been instructed to use taxiway B but followed the narrower taxiway M, causing a wing to strike the offices, where the injuries were caused by debris from the building, South Africa’s Civil Aviation Authority said. Photos taken by passengers showed the wing embedded into the second floor of the building, having ripped through the side for several meters.

“This wasn’t just a case of the wing grazing the building, this was a huge incursion,” said Robert Mann, a consultant who formerly ran fleet management at American Airlines and who describes London-Johannesburg as a “senior route” most likely staffed by experienced cockpit crews.

A kerosene spill from the fully fueled jumbo, which would have had thousands of gallons of propellant in its wings, was contained by the airport fire services, and no one aboard was hurt, the authority said. The 747 has been removed from the office block and its flight recorders recovered for analysis.

Mann said that pilots are issued with diagrams against which to map their progress when taxiing, and that even when instructed to take a particular route to the runway there is an assumption of “situational awareness” requiring them to recognize when their plane risks hitting another object.

[Sarah Elle-Même 660]

Oof. Another case of pilot ignoring the control tower. I've definitely seen that office complex on more than one occasion flying into O. R. Tambo.

[Operator 1,927]

My father is a retired AA pilot, he's told me that you would be amazed at how many planes actually land on taxi ways thinking they are the active. Good thing this guy wasn't landing.

[Pooky 3,840]

" 'Ere, Bert. D'you fink we 'av snuff room to swing the right wing round 'ere?"

" Lemme 'av a look, Stan."

"Well?"

"It looks a bit bum-squeaky tight, Stan, but let's give it a go."

*crunch*

"Er ... Bert?"

"Yeah, Stan?"

"Ya know those winglet thingies?"

"Yeah, Stan?"

" 'Ow much does one cost?"

"A lotta money. Why?"

" 'Cos we need a new one. And maybe a few cosmetic repairs to the building we just 'it.

" Oops."

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Good thing this guy wasn't landing.

Right, that was the other guy from a different airline apparently mistaking Arusha airport for Kilimanjaro International in Tanzania. Not good since the runway at the former was too short for the 767 which ended up coming to a stop in the grass post the runway. Fortunately, nobody got hurt.

Pilot mistook Arusha for KIA

An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration ET-AQW performing flight ET-815 from Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) to Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) with 213 people on board, was on approach to Kilimanjaro's runway 27 (length 3600 meters/11,800 feet) where a light aircraft was on the runway near the threshold of runway 09/end of runway 27 and was cleared to land on runway 27 with reduced length of 3200 meters. The aircraft however touched down on Arusha's runway 27 (length 1620 meters/5300 feet) at 13:15L (10:15Z) and came to a full stop just prior to the runway end. Subsequently the crew turned the aircraft left for backtracking, the aircraft came to a stop with all gear on soft ground. No injuries occurred, the aircraft received no visible damage.

The airline confirmed the aircraft diverted because a Cessna was disabled on the runway of Kilimanjaro, however, did not explain why the aircraft diverted to Arusha (27nm from Kilimanjaro Airport) with too short a runway rather than diverting to Dar es Salaam (Tanzania, 240nm from Kilimanjaro), Mombasa (Kenya, 154nm from Kilimanjaro) or Nairobi (Kenya, 127nm from Kilimanjaro) featuring suitable runways.

An investigation has been opened into the occurrence.

Ground witnesses report, that the crew managed to bring the aircraft to a full stop just before the end of the runway, but then attempted to maneouver the aircraft to backtrack the runway which is when they went off paved surface.

A listener on frequency reported the aircraft was sent into a holding at Kilimanjaro NDB (KB, 293kHz) southwest of Kilimanjaro Airport and south of Arusha Airport. Arusha's runway was visible from the holding with the same orientation as Kilimanjaro's runway (09/27 at 3600 meters length). The crew thus obviously believing to land at Kilimanjaro Airport touched down at Arusha.

Another listener on frequency reported the next day that the crew was advised the Cessna would soon be removed from the runway convincing the crew to remain in the hold. The crew finally called in declaring emergency and reporting that they no longer had sufficient fuel to reach Nairobi, Dar es Salaam or Mombasa (editorial remark: with required minimum fuel reserve remaining intact). Following the emergency the aircraft was cleared to land on Kilimanjaro's shortened runway 27, the crew was told the Cessna was still on the runway near the threshold of runway 09, the Boeing 767 however did not show up at the airport.

Several passengers reported that after holding they were told they were now approaching Kilimanjaro airport, they would land to the west due to the Cessna still near the western end of the runway. The landing was rough as expected, only then it was discovered that they had landed at the wrong airport. After turning onto the grass they were stuck on the aircraft for about 3.5 hours until stairs arrived from Kilimanjaro Airport, in the meantime some emergency exits were opened to re-introduce some air circulation into the cabin and calm discontent amongst the passengers.

Arusha's airport said the aircraft landed in Arusha by mistake, they were not supposed to land at Arusha and did not communicate with Arusha tower. The aircraft came to a complete stand still just before the end of the runway but then went off the runway.

In a press release on Dec 19th Tanzania's Civil Aviation Authority reported that the Boeing 767-300 contacted Kilimanjaro at 12:29L and was instructed to continue the flight to Kilimanjaro and report the airfield in sight, the crew was advised the runway 27 end was displaced due to a disabled light aircraft, runway length available for landing was 3,200 meters (instead of 3,600 meters). The crew subsequently reported to have the airport in sight and was cleared for a visual approach to runway 27. The crew subsequently reported to be at left base and was cleared to land on runway 27. After a while without seeing the aircraft Kilimanjaro tower tried to contact the crew via radio however without success. Arusha's tower called in some time later reporting the aircraft had landed on their runway, 1640 meters long while the Boeing 767-300 requires 1798 meters for landing at maximum landing weight.

http://avherald.com/h?article=46d32419

Edited December 23, 2013 by Mr. Big Dog