Rebigulator

I flew into EWR this afternoon on a 752, and, for the first time I have experienced, we landed runway 29 (this is the single runway that runs east-west at the north end of the airport.

Since I am sure someone here will know...how often is this runway used for regular jets, and, for what reasons is it used?

I cant begin to count how many times I've landed at EWR over the last 15-20 years and this was the 1st time the plane I was on used this runway. It was very interesting to take such a different landing pattern into the airport, especially with all of the tight turns required in the last few minutes of the flight.

EWR Rocks

They use it when the winds are very strong west to east or other way around.
I have seen 777 landing on it too.

TWA Fan 1

Runway 11/29 is much shorter (6,800 ft) than the two North-South runways at EWR (4R/22L 10,000 ft and 4L/22R 11,000 ft).

Runway 11/29 also does not have an ILS which allows for highly precise landings. Instead. 11/29 has an LOC/GS which requires more manual operation during landing.

This is one reason a CO 757 fairly recently landed on a parralel taxiway at 11/29.

jrzyshawn

I have only been on one flight that had used that runway, I think it was an MD-80 in 2000 from ewr-mia

doobierw

Runway 29 is generally used when strong wind conditions are out of the West/Northwest, and create a strong crosswind component for 4/22. I landed on this runway about two weeks ago, and requested it when we learned the winds were about 300 degrees gusting to 20 knots. Landing on runway 29 provided us with a wind that was generally on the nose, as opposed to a wind that was 80 degrees out at 20 knots.....which can be a challenge.

Runway 29 does not have an instrument approach, but we now use an approach procedure which provides precisely defined points, allowing the Flight Management System to fly what amounts to an artificially generated, precise approach to the runway.

There are several factors that went into the aircraft that landed 'right of course': Sun in the eyes, pavement color, non-standard runway markings, lighting system, etc. All of our visual guidance lighting (VASI) at EWR is on the left side of the landing area.....except for this runway, which has it located on the right side.....or the left of the taxiway in this case. It all added up.....

DRW

TWA Fan 1

All very interesting. But is it not right that if 29 had an ILS the above incident would have been essentially impossible?

Also, is R11 ever used?

One of my favorite approaches is Runway 31 at LGA, with the Runway 4 approach and then the steep turns around Shea Stadium and Flushing Bay. It seems as is the average jet straightens out only in the last 10 sec or so...

sbm12

Someone asked about this runway during our OPs tour session and the CO folks indicated that the runway is able to handle any aircraft that could otherwise land at EWR (including 747s), despite its short length. They don't use it incredibly often as it involves also limiting use of the 4/22s that it crosses, but we watched a plane or two land on it during our tour.

yellow77

I'm pretty sure all traffic was landing on 29 around noon today when I was at EWR. I watched several widebodies land that way (a BA 777, a CO 777, the CO 762 I was on from IAH, the NW A330 from AMS). It's amazing how short the stopping distance they need is. It was much more entertaining than it usually is to watch from the CO terminals at EWR, which don't have the best view of 4/22.

I also saw a CO 737 go around - it looks like there is a fair bit less room for error if you don't quite line up right, so obviously better safe than sorry.

Xyzzy

In that case, I believe the pilot was headed straight into the sun and he mistook the taxiway for the runway. The fact that the PAPI for 29 is on the right (due to the proximity of the approach end of 22) when it is usually on the left likely also contributed.

During our tour of the CO ops tower the other day we saw a CO 752 land on 11. Everything else except for a few RJs was landing on 4.

Scott6067

I also think that once the Q400s come into play at EWR that they will be using this runway a lot as they have the ability for short take offs and landings and thus can use this runway at a shorter distance and thus not create havic in the system. and also help decrease delays

Olton Hall

I've had a fair share of ERJ flights to and from upsate NY take off and land on that runway in calm air.

Hartmann

I thought the flight that landed on the taxiway was after sunset (6:31pm EST). How would the sun be in the pilot's eyes?

xist2c

Around 3-4pm today, the west facing windows in 30th floor office building I was in in Jersey City, got very crowded as we watched 9/11 height jets, head straight for us, only to turn 180 degrees and head back to land at EWR. We were pretty close to evacuating.

Definitely not a usual flight path.

Mr.Nuke

Had 29 had an ILS and had the crew used the ILS then yes it would have been practically impossible. That is assuming everything is functioning properly, and more importantly the crew monitored the ILS. And no matter how impossible something seems it can happen. The pilots on Comair 191 only needed to confirm the runway they were on before they took off....

doobierw,
I am only a GA instrument rated pilot so I've never flown into EWR myself. I realize this isn't a certified approach, but on a 29 approach can't you do a back course off of the ILS 11 to at least confirm you are lined up with the runway?

forress

RY29 arrivals are usually what's called a Circle to Land arrival. The planes will use the ILS to RY22 until they reach the outermarker or so of the ILS and break off and make a left turn (downwind) to the Hudson river, turn base and then come in on a visual approach for RY29.

You will never see an ILS for RY29 because there's no room for it out in the Hudson river and it interferes with NY Tracon's airspace for LGA/JFK arrivals and departures. The Tracon has enough problems in this small 15-mile NY/NJ metro radius as it.

RY11 arrivals are used all the time during busy arrival periods of the day as an overflow runway to the main parallel runways. Most of the time, you'll see B737 and RJ's landing there. But when there's a strong headwind, you'll see anything on RY11/29 including B777's and A340's.