Washington: US aviation authorities are investigating an incident with an Air Canada plane that almost landed on a crowded street instead of a runway at San Francisco airport, officials said on Tuesday.
Air Canada’s Airbus A320 was cleared to land on 28-Right Runway at San Francisco International Airport shortly before midnight on Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
“However, the pilot accidentally lined up for Taxiway C, which runs parallel to the runway,” the FAA said in a statement. “An air traffic controller sent the Air Canada plane around.
“The plane made another approach and landed without incident.”
Four aircraft were lined up at Taxiway C waiting for clearance to take off when the Air Canada aircraft, which had 135 passengers and five crew members on board, was diverted by the control tower.
The FAA is investigating how close the Air Canada Aircraft – Flight AC759 flying from Toronto to San Francisco – are to aircraft that were lined up on Taxiway C.
The incident was first reported by The Mercury News, which cited aviation experts as saying that a potentially horrible accident had been narrowly avoided.
“If it is true, what happened probably came close to the biggest aviation disaster in history,” said Ross Aimer, a retired United Airlines captain.
“If you could imagine an Airbus colliding with four bodies of wide-jet aircraft, full of fuel and passengers, then you can imagine how horrible it could have been,” he said.
Air Canada said in a statement that it was investigating the circumstances of the bypass involving its plane and that it “has no additional information to offer” at this time.
An audio recording of radio exchanges between air traffic control and the Air Canada 759 pilot can be heard online.
In recording, the Air Canada pilot recognizes the tower’s instructions to land on runway 28R or 28-right.
The San Francisco airport has two parallel lanes: 28-Right and 28-Left.
Also running parallel to Runway 28-Right there is a taxiway, Taxiway C, where aircraft line up a single file to wait for clearance to take off.
Moments after receiving permission to land on 28-Right runway, the Air Canada pilot returns to the radio that detects that something is wrong.
“Uh, Tower, I just want to confirm – this is Air Canada 759 – we see some lights on the track there, across the track, can you confirm that we’re clear to land?”
The tower responds: “Air Canada 759 confirmed that it was ready to land on Track 28-Right. There is no one in 28-Right, but you.”
“OK, Air Canada 759,” the pilot replies.
At this point the voice of an unidentified man is interrupted – presumably a pilot on one of the planes waiting to take off. “Where is this guy?” “It’s on the taxiway,” he says.
Air traffic control immediately tells the Air Canada pilot not to land.
“Air Canada turns around,” says the tower.
“On the go-around, Air Canada 759,” the pilot replies.
The pilot of a United Airlines plane on the ground tells the tower meanwhile that “Air Canada flew directly over us.”
“Yes, I saw those boys,” the tower replies.
