Pilots warned after runway approach error

[redout]

Taken from http://www.rte.ie/

Wednesday, 19 September 2007 12:20

Pilots flying into Dublin Airport have been warned about the risk of mistaking rooftop lights for an approach to a runway.

The warning came after an incident last month in which a flight from Lisbon on approach to the airport's alternative runway just before midnight began to deviate course and continued to descend without proper visual identification.
On instruction from Air Traffic Control, the plane ascended and later landed without further incident.

The Air Accident Investigation Unit found that flight FLT344E had mistaken the roof lighting of a 16-storey building at Santry Cross for the red and white lights of a runway approach system.

The warning to pilots was part of interim safety recommendations from the AAIU (read the report here) to the Irish Aviation Authority on the incident, which is still being investigated.

The investigators also asked the IAA to review the suitability of what it called 'obstacle lighting' on the 52-metre high building.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio's Morning Ireland, aviation journalist Gerry Byrne said the tone of the AAIU's report demonstrated the potential danger of what was called a 'serious incident'.

'They normally use very measured language in these reports and the use of the word serious implies that a disaster could have happened if this had not been corrected,' Mr Byrne said.

[safetypee]

Short incident report and pictures here (www.aaiu.ie/upload/general/9702-0.pdf).

A similar, N American event is described in ‘Incident 5’ here. (www.icao.int/fsix/_Library%5CTAWS%20Saves%20plus%20add.pdf) This alone is a good reason to ensure that the EGPWS ‘Obstacle’ mode is activated – it's a free update.
In addition see incidents 1, 8 and 9, which also involve visual illusion / error.

[FCS Explorer]

must be quite thrilling to see some aircraft making an approach into your bed romm window.... :eek::}

[Dave Gittins]

Interesting that this was a "save" by an alert ATC unlike Lexington which could have been.

[Wessex Boy]

must be quite thrilling to see some aircraft making an approach into your bed romm window....


especially if you leave the landing light on.....:E

I'll get my coat...

[CANOPUS]

Question: What is the alignment of the offending building at Santry Cross versus runway 34 at Dublin Airport(i.e. how far off course would the aircraft have to turn to align with the building)? Also would like to know how long the lights have been situated atop said building?

[Dave Gittins]

Perhaps it could be solved like the gasometer on the 23 approach to Heathrow/Northolt with a big arrow and a "34" on it.

Or maybe an illuminated sign that says "If you can see this you are going to land short !!!! "

[redout]

The building in question I would say is about about half a kilometre to the left of RWY 34. Go to Google Earth and you can see the building in question just off the M-50 motorway. I would say the building has been there for at least 2yrs. Probably has not been noticed before as RWY 34 is not frequently in use.

[Economics101]

The offending building at 16 floors high is one of the highest in the area. Some years ago there were problems when developers wanted to build in the Santry area (i.e. near the Rwy 34 approach) and they were opposed by the aviation authorities. I suspect that, as is so often the case, the developers managed to sweet-talk the local councillors, who have a huge say in planning permssions into building something, which just possibly might have been inadvisable from an air safety point of view.

Yet another North Dublin planning scandal? Any brown envelopes involoved? Just wondering.

[eyeinthesky]

QUOTE
must be quite thrilling to see some aircraft making an approach into your bed romm window....
UNQUOTE

The people who lived in the Bijlemermeer flats north of AMS may not agree as they ended up collecting an El Al 747...:eek:

[CANOPUS]

Had ICAO annex 14 been consulted in the planning stages of this building? Hopefully the whims of property developers/builders are not catered to by local authorities at the expense flight safety.

It must be remembered that the environs of international airports are sacrosanct and their unique requirements must be respected. To otherwise ignore this would be, as no one would better know than a Dubliner, beyond the pale.

Many thanks to the alert air traffic controller (who may have seen this sort of thing happen before?) and sympathy for the air crew who were taken unaware while on short finals to runway 34 DUB on a dark night.

[niknak]

Obviously the Irish Airports Authority haven't heard of aerodrome safeguarding.:ugh::rolleyes:

Any lighting display such as this would be subject to planning permission in the UK.

Every Airport in the UK is responsible for their own safeguarding plan and notifying the local authority of that plan.

Therafter, any proposed development within the 25nm radius of the airport which exceeds a specified dimension or height, has to be notified to the airport safeguarding officer, for assessment upon the airport.

[EZYramper]

It's like the episode of Only Fools and Horses where Del buys the "statalitte" dish which turns out to be radar from Gatwick!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xs3Rvtk4_14

[fyrefli]

That plane's a bit further off course than the one in Dublin - those episodes of Only Fools and Horses were filmed in the flats on Luckwell Road immediately behind Bristol City's Ashton Gate ground ;) The riot in particular was most amusing to watch :)

[Just a spotter]

The building in question is part of the local authority redevelopment plan for Ballymun (it's not actually in Santry at all). The building was lauded by the authority as one of the signiture constructions in the development.

As for IAA/DAA objections, the planning process in Ireland, and around Dublin in particular, is so corrupt that any objections would most likely fall on deaf ears with the aid of a brown evelope or two* (look at the recent Bewleys 7 storey hotel built just to the left of the 28 apprach and the Cargobridge development on the edge of the airport to the right of 28).

JAS

*For proof of this; currently the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) is appearing on front of a Tribunal of Inquiry in Dublin investigation just that topic. Mr. Ahern is the latest in a line of local and national politicians beign quizzed (and dodging giving any answers) regarding certain funding he received over the years.

[Del Prado]

Report here (http://www.aaiu.ie/AAIUviewitem.asp?id=11469&lang=ENG&loc=1652)


:ugh:

[Allan L]

Also see thread:

http://www.pprune.org/safety-crm-qa-emergency-response-planning/371026-report-incident-dub-2007-a.html