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NTSB Issues Investigative Update on San Francisco Airport Near Miss

ntsb.gov

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Re: NTSB Issues Investigative Update on San Francisco Airport Near Miss

#2
Previous discussion on this topic: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14741605

This literally could have been one of the worst accidents in American aviation history had the pilots of the landing airplane failed to react in time. There were 4 fully loaded and fueled passenger jets directly ahead of them.

Re: NTSB Issues Investigative Update on San Francisco Airport Near Miss

#3
Before I couldn't imagine how anyone could make this mistake, but now I see it. The pilots were familiar with SFO and knew that there were two runways, but didn't realize the left hand runway lights were turned off, so they had an off-by-one error when choosing the runway.

Re: NTSB Issues Investigative Update on San Francisco Airport Near Miss

#4
This was a very close call. Initial reports indicated it was like an ordinary go-around. No. "The incident pilots advanced the thrust levers when the airplane was about 85 feet above ground level. Flight data recorder data indicate the airplane was over the taxiway at this time. About 2.5 seconds after advancing the thrust levers, the minimum altitude recorded on the FDR was 59 feet above ground level."

They overflew an Airbus A340 on the taxiway, tail height 55 feet.

Re: NTSB Issues Investigative Update on San Francisco Airport Near Miss

#5
post #3

Before I couldn't imagine how anyone could make this mistake, but now I see it. The pilots were familiar with SFO and knew that there were two runways, but didn't realize the left hand runway lights were turned off, so they had an off-by-one error when choosing the runway.

That is quite plausible. They somehow didn't register the "X" on 28R.

Edit: Sorry, I meant 28L. Just dyslexic, I guess.

Re: NTSB Issues Investigative Update on San Francisco Airport Near Miss

#6
post #5
post #3

Before I couldn't imagine how anyone could make this mistake, but now I see it. The pilots were familiar with SFO and knew that there were two runways, but didn't realize the left hand runway lights were turned off, so they had an off-by-one error when choosing the runway.

That is quite plausible. They somehow didn't register the "X" on 28R. Edit: Sorry, I meant 28L. Just dyslexic, I guess.

There wasn't any.

Re: NTSB Issues Investigative Update on San Francisco Airport Near Miss

#8
post #4

This was a very close call. Initial reports indicated it was like an ordinary go-around. No. "The incident pilots advanced the thrust levers when the airplane was about 85 feet above ground level. Flight data recorder data indicate the airplane was over the taxiway at this time. About 2.5 seconds after advancing the thrust levers, the minimum altitude recorded on the FDR was 59 feet above ground level." They overflew…

Wow. A few feet lower, and they might have clipped a tail. I wonder what would have happened.

Re: NTSB Issues Investigative Update on San Francisco Airport Near Miss

#9
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is quite plausible. They somehow didn't register the "X" on 28R. Edit: Sorry, I meant 28L. Just dyslexic, I guess.

There wasn't any.

> Runway 28L was closed to accommodate construction; its approach and runway lights were turned off, and a 20.5-ft-wide lighted flashing X (runway closure marker) was placed at the threshold.
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