Runway Lights taken out AKL
 

Who took out 8 runway edge lights on departure from NZAA this morning? Perhaps someone lined up with the edge lights instead of the centreline?

Wasn't me.......!

**** hope no one saw me...

LAN :ok::ok::ok:

Don't they depart at 6am?
It was about 9am till we heard of it. Maybe they were keeping quiet about it!!

What was the weather like? fog?

Oh dear, that explains why the captain wouldn't buy me a coffee...:(

I heard that someone departed with a locker open and distributed items along the runway, sounded like it might have been something a bit lighter than LAN though.

TAIC showing an investigation into an A340 runway excersion.

Runway lights wrecked


http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webconte...LE_220x147.jpg

The LAN Chile Airbus A340 which hit runway lights at Auckland Airport.

A plane has smashed runway lights during a take-off described as "extremely abnormal" at Auckland International Airport.
An investigation has been launched into the Chilean airline LAN flight last Saturday, which later landed in Sydney on damaged tyres.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission confirmed the incident this week, in which the aircraft strayed from the middle of
the runway during take-off and smashed several lights which stand 30cm high and line the tarmac."It appears that a LAN Chile A340 on
take-off from Auckland at about 6.20am on Saturday morning was incorrectly lined up on one edge of the runway, rather than the centre line.
"As a result there was some damage to airport lighting," commission spokesman Peter Northcote said.
The lights were about 20cm to 30cm off the ground and 60m apart along the length of the runway, airport spokeswoman Katie Moore said.
Aviation commentator Peter Clark said, "For an aircraft to be that far off the centre line, I would be concerned. To do that in a take-off is not normal at all.
I would say it's extremely abnormal."
Clark said the pilot "would've known he was off to the side of the runway, definitely". The Airbus website said A340 plane models had four engines and could seat 240 to 359 people.
Airways Corporation, the State-owned enterprise responsible for the runway and lights, confirmed an Airbus A340 broke about seven runway lights.
"They were repaired as soon as they were discovered," corporation spokeswoman Philippa Sellens said. The lights were worth about $355 each, putting the cost of the damage at more than $2,500.
Northcote said the plane continued on, although he understood "some tyre damage" was discovered in Sydney. He said LAN was co-operating with the investigation.
The commission's investigation into the "runway excursion" could take until next April to complete.

An Air New Zealand 744, did pretty much the same thing a while back from RWY 25R in LAX. To their credit, they did a most excellent write-up in their own Flight Safety magazine. Powerful illusions can be created in difficult conditions and the power of 'Confirmation Bias' can be be extremely compelling.

I think it was Etihad who did something similar at Abu Dhabi last year during LVPs. Not as uncommon as all that. Good 'ol confirmation bias. There but for the grace of...
etc etc
Who are these aviation "commentators" the media always quote?

He is a former Television New Zealand sound operator who has a PPL.
Self appointed expert who specialises in stating the bleeding obvious.
NZ media are under-resourced and lazy - so run to him for an extra soundbite whenever anything aviation related pops up.

For a wide body aircraft, if they lined up on the runway edge lights, wouldn't one of the main bogies be on the grass during the take-off roll?

.. and not to mention some kind of "boing" noise from the nosewheel each time they collected a light. :hmm:

It was an Airbus, so there would be no 'boing' noise.

training wheels
 

For a 340 you are looking at about 10 metre outer main gear. At most Code E/F runways you'll have a 7.5m sealed shoulder capable of supporting an aircraft, so 2 to 2.5m to spare! No dramas.

Quote from previous post: "Clark said the pilot "would've known he was off to the side of the runway, definitely""
So Clark is not only an aviation expert, but a mind reader. Perhaps he can tell us what the Captain was thinking when he applied T/O power, already knowing he was lined up on the runway centreline?

Seriously, if the quote above is true, then it is like Mr Clark accusing said crew of negligence, in the very least. Whomever chose to publish those remarks, and credit Mr Clark with any sort of title, should reconsider the vetting of their sources. Off with his head! ;-)

It's interesting because that comment shows that Mr Clark doesn't understand why incidents like this occur.
If the Captain had " definitely known" that he wasn't on the centerline then he or she simply wouldn't have taken off.
At best it shows a laymans lack of understanding about aviation human factors. If he did say that he has just proved he is no aviation expert.

"Expert" - noun - pronunciation, ex-spurt

Which if you boil it all down is

Ex, - as in has been
Spurt, -a drip of water under pressure.

Sums it all up really

A qlink dash 8 managed to do it at Townsville a couple of years ago as well.