Yet another aviation thread.

Quote: Nareed

recently another Air Canada Airbus A320 had a mishap at SFO. A near-fatal one, too.

The plane was instructed to go around, because ATC was unsure whether a plane had cleared the runway (it had, but that's not the point). Not only did the crew not go around, they didn't even reply on the radio. Some reports say the flight was sent a visual signal to go around (I'm not clear on that), and either they failed to see it or ignored it.

After landing safely, they reported problems with their radio.

I wonder about visual signals. In many of his novels, former Naval combat pilot Steven Coonts details carrier operations. I recall that the Landing Signals Officer controls the runway lights. Flashing the lights is a wave-off, similar to a go around in civilian ops. On a carrier, a wave-off often happens when the plane's trajectory is such it won't be able to land safely on deck. Such as it's coming in too high, so it will hit the deck too far along to stop. Or too low and will crash into the carrier's stern.

It's often reported that in the Vietnam war, naval pilots experienced higher levels of stress when landing on carriers, especially at night, than during combat missions when they were being shot at. I don't know whether that's true.

Quote: Dalex64

There is a light gun in the control tower. It can send red, white, green signals, flashing or solid.

Quote:

Federal Aviation Administration officials are investigating an incident at San Francisco International Airport involving an Air Canada plane.
The incident occurred Sunday night when Air Canada flight 781, an Airbus A320, wan preparing to land at SFO.
FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said air traffic control cleared the flight to land on Runway 28R. The Air Canada crew acknowledged the instruction when they were about 6 miles away from the airport, Gregor said.
"The tower controller subsequently instructed the Air Canada crew multiple times to execute a go-around because he was not certain that a preceding arrival would be completely clear of the runway before the Air Canada jet reached the runway threshold," Gregor said, adding the crew onboard the plan did not acknowledge any of the controller's instructions.

A supervisor then resorted to using a red light gun to alert the Air Canada flight to go around. Gregor said flashing a light gun is standard protocol when an air crew is not responding to radio instructions.
Air Canada flight 781 landed on Runway 284 at 9:26 p.m. The Air Canada crew after landing told the tower they had a radio problem, according to Gregor.
"A radar replay showed the preceding arrival was in fact clear of the runway when Air Canada landed," Gregor said.

Quote: Dalex64

I've only seen one from the ground, and it wasn't pointed at me, but even so it was quite bright. It has focused with lenses, and should pop out above anything in the background in day or night when pointed directly at an aircraft.

Quote: Nareed

Question: is this like a record number of transatlantic flights visiting Goose Bay in one year? :)

Quote: Pacomartin

I think you have to count Goose and Gander together.

Quote: Pacomartin

I think you have to count Goose and Gander together.