Canadian authorities are investigating a runway incursion March 21 involving two Boeing 787s at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. Controllers noticed a LOT Airlines Dreamliner had failed to clear the runway as a KLM 787 barreled down the runway at 110 knots on its takeoff run. Controllers ordered the KLM flight to abort its takeoff and it stopped more than a mile away from the LOT jet.
According to the report, which was released April 10, the LOT jet landed on Runway 6L as the KLM plane waited to take off on the same runway. Controllers expected the LOT crew to exit the runway at taxiway C5 and cleared the KLM jet for takeoff when the LOT plane reached C5. The LOT crew instead continued taxiing on the runway before turning off on C7.
Once again the communications (possibly ESL) issue has emerged.
Not excusing the LOT but, it looks to me like ATC should have been paying attention to the LOT’s touch down point and landing speed before clearing for T/O. Timing!
KLM going for Tenerife 2.0?
That’s the first thing that popped in my mind
Takeoff clearance issued before having a clear runway? Nope!
Agree. They should have waited until the LOT plane had at least visibly started its turn onto C5, but actually should have waited until it crossed the hold line. This one’s on the controllers.
Most of my 24+ years as a pilot with AC was out of YYZ. Among the poorest controllers – cavalier, autocratic, disorganized, little air picture. There were exceptions (Roj, short for Roger, a franco controller).
Roger, Roger?
Somehow, this Boeing’s fault.
Timing is everything.
It should be pointed out that in the U.S. one can be cleared to land while other traffic is still ahead of you. In Canada, a landing or takeoff clearance cannot be granted unless the runway is clear of all traffic. In the event in Toronto, it appears to be an ATC error.
In short, anticipated separation did not happen.
This reminds me of the Tenerife disaster, the KLM and PANAM 747s….Thank God the take off was aborted.