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

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

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Old Jul 10, 2017, 7:34 pm
  #1  
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Exclusive: SFO near miss might have triggered ‘greatest aviation disaster in history’

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 appropriate runway.
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/07/1...er-in-history/

Just saw this on the evening news in the Bay Area and found a few articles about it.

A different article:

As the pilot of the Air Canada plane appears to be moving toward the taxiway, another pilot alerts the tower.

"Where's this guy going? He's on the taxiway," the other pilot said.

That's when the SFO tower ordered Air Canada to abort the landing and go-around.
http://abc7news.com/travel/air-canad...xiway/2203462/
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Old Jul 10, 2017, 8:07 pm
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Can anyone chime in on what the consequences would have been if the pilot actually landed on the taxiway?
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Old Jul 10, 2017, 8:11 pm
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Originally Posted by eigenvector
Can anyone chime in on what the consequences would have been if the pilot actually landed on the taxiway?
Harrison Ford
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Old Jul 10, 2017, 8:11 pm
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Originally Posted by eigenvector
Can anyone chime in on what the consequences would have been if the pilot actually landed on the taxiway?
Nothing less than catastrophic.
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Old Jul 10, 2017, 8:11 pm
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Originally Posted by eigenvector
Can anyone chime in on what the consequences would have been if the pilot actually landed on the taxiway?
There were 4 aircraft lined up on that taxiway, one of which was UA1 bound for SIN. Catastrophic is a word that comes to mind.
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Old Jul 10, 2017, 8:19 pm
  #6  
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"Air Canada issued a statement Monday saying, "Air Canada flight AC759 from Toronto was preparing to land at SFO Friday night when the aircraft initiated a go-around. The aircraft landed normally without incident. We are still investigating the circumstances."

"Initiated a go-around"="hard landing"
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Old Jul 10, 2017, 8:19 pm
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Originally Posted by ChrisA330
There were 4 aircraft lined up on that taxiway, one of which was UA1 bound for SIN. Catastrophic is a word that comes to mind.
Yes, on the scale of the 1977 accident at Tenerife I'd wager.
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Old Jul 10, 2017, 8:53 pm
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This situation could've ended horribly. 4 widebodys loaded with pax & fuel sitting on the taxiway.

AC759: "Tower, just want to confirm. This is Air Canada 759. We see lights on the runway there. Across the runway. Can you confirm are we cleared to land?"

SFO TOWER: "Confirmed cleared to land. Runway 28 Right. There's no one on 2-8 Right but you."
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Old Jul 10, 2017, 9:18 pm
  #9  
 
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AC759 sounded quite unsure; UAL1 was not amused.

Edited all ATC except AC759, SFO Tower and UAL1 -

http://link.trekcubed.com/ac759-sfo-070717-goaround.mp3

Audio Source: LiveATC
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Old Jul 10, 2017, 9:28 pm
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Originally Posted by rankourabu

"Initiated a go-around"="hard landing"
Not sure what you mean by equating these two while in quotes.
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Old Jul 10, 2017, 9:29 pm
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this happened with Delta in 2009; and the pilots were not disciplined. [and by happened, I mean they actually landed on the taxiway]

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/ar...axiway-336663/

And with Alaska in 2015:

https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/...or-runway.html
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Old Jul 10, 2017, 9:29 pm
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Originally Posted by trek604
AC759 sounded quite unsure; UAL1 was not amused.

Edited all ATC except AC759, SFO Tower and UAL1 -

http://link.trekcubed.com/ac759-sfo-070717-goaround.mp3

Audio Source: LiveATC
How much time transpired between the go-around being initiated and UA1's "Air Canada flew directly over us" transmission? I assume you deleted some of the audio between those two points(?).
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Old Jul 10, 2017, 9:36 pm
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Originally Posted by After Burner
How much time transpired between the go-around being initiated and UA1's "Air Canada flew directly over us" transmission? I assume you deleted some of the audio between those two points(?).
Full audio clip from this post:

http://www.pprune.org/9826878-post4.html
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Old Jul 10, 2017, 9:37 pm
  #14  
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Not possible. Air Canada is a super super super safe airline.
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Old Jul 10, 2017, 9:42 pm
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Originally Posted by After Burner
How much time transpired between the go-around being initiated and UA1's "Air Canada flew directly over us" transmission? I assume you deleted some of the audio between those two points(?).
Approx 37 seconds.

Realtime file -
http://link.trekcubed.com/ac759-sfo-...d-realtime.mp3
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