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- Oct 29, 2003
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Full story in the YYZ Star
More pilot training, better regulations and tougher runway safety standards could prevent the kind of accident that saw an Air France jet careen off the shortest of Pearson International's five runways and burst into flame.
The board released seven recommendations. Five urge the government and international aviation authorities to set clear standards that would limit landings in severe thunderstorms, require proper on-board calculations of weather conditions and landing distances and give pilots mandatory training on deciding when it is safe to land.
The safety board also recommended all runways have a 300-metre safety zone at the end, or an alternative stopping system, such as crumbled concrete. Canada still only requires a 90-metre safety zone despite a 300-metre international standard adopted in 1999.
"Our investigation found the Air France crew, like many other crews, did not calculate the landing distance required for the conditions at destination," said Tadros.
The evacuation standard for an Airbus A340-313 is 90 seconds, but it took just under two minutes to get everyone off that day, investigators found.
Investigators were steadfast that the decision to land rests squarely on the pilots. But lawyers for 184 passengers involved in a $325 million class-action suit against Air France, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority and Nav Canada say those agencies were responsible for failing to have the kind of wind speed detection systems available in Buffalo and other airports, and for not having a backup communications system between the tower and runway-level detection equipment.
More pilot training, better regulations and tougher runway safety standards could prevent the kind of accident that saw an Air France jet careen off the shortest of Pearson International's five runways and burst into flame.
The board released seven recommendations. Five urge the government and international aviation authorities to set clear standards that would limit landings in severe thunderstorms, require proper on-board calculations of weather conditions and landing distances and give pilots mandatory training on deciding when it is safe to land.
The safety board also recommended all runways have a 300-metre safety zone at the end, or an alternative stopping system, such as crumbled concrete. Canada still only requires a 90-metre safety zone despite a 300-metre international standard adopted in 1999.
"Our investigation found the Air France crew, like many other crews, did not calculate the landing distance required for the conditions at destination," said Tadros.
The evacuation standard for an Airbus A340-313 is 90 seconds, but it took just under two minutes to get everyone off that day, investigators found.
Investigators were steadfast that the decision to land rests squarely on the pilots. But lawyers for 184 passengers involved in a $325 million class-action suit against Air France, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority and Nav Canada say those agencies were responsible for failing to have the kind of wind speed detection systems available in Buffalo and other airports, and for not having a backup communications system between the tower and runway-level detection equipment.
