Runway Overrun CYAZ

[angry inch]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-c ... -1.3255869


An Orca Airways pilot has been fired for overshooting a Tofino B.C. runway, and not reporting the error to the airline.

"He got the aircraft down and everybody was pretty relieved, but you know, after a while it set in that this could have killed us," said Denis McMullen.

The McMullens — Denis and his wife — were two of six passengers on the flight from Vancouver to Tofino in September 2015.

Thick fog

The pilot warned passengers on take off that fog was thick, so the plane may have to land in Port Alberni.

"So, with that, we took off. It was a fairly uneventful journey until we got over to the west coast of the island — where there was a lot of low cloud."

The plane tried to approach twice, before landing, said McMullen.

After touch down he says it took "five seconds" before the plane ran out of runway.

CEO learned days later

Orca Airways CEO, Andrew Naysmith, says he didn't learn about the runway overshoot until days later, and that violates company policy, so the pilot was dismissed.

The airline was founded in 2005 and operates out of the Vancouver International Airport. Its 20 planes provide daily flights between Vancouver and Vancouver Island.

On the company's web site it describes itself as "a safety-driven, performance-based airline focused on continuous training."

[DanWEC]

I wouldn't put too much stock in a passenger's account, and I wasn't there, but running out of runway in 5 seconds, (So 600' before the end of a 5000' runway?) and it being the third approach attempt, you can take a stab at what was going on with the successive attempts....
All speculation of course, but then he tried to hide it. Nice.

On the third attempt you have some ridiculous percentage of like 50% of it resulting in some sort of accident. Personally I've made it a rule never to do a third attempt.

[ragbagflyer]

Yikes. Was a CADORS generated for this one?

[Donald]

Occurrence Summary
Date Entered:2015-09-24
Narrative:
Airport authority reported a possible Runway excursion at Tofino, BC (CYAZ) involving an Orca Airways Piper PA-31 from Vancouver, BC (CYVR) to Tofino, BC (CYAZ) following a report from a concerned individual. The event was not reported to Nanaimo Flight Service Station (FSS) at the time. No known damage to the aircraft.
O.P.I.:Commercial & Business Aviation Further Action Required:Yes
Occurrence Summary
Date Entered:2015-09-24
Narrative:
UPDATE: Long Beach Airport (CYAZ) Report#09-10-2013: Based on a report from one of the passengers, the pilot of an Orca Air flight, that allegedly landed long on runway 29 and departed off the paved portion of runway at Long Beach Airport (CYAZ), had made two attempts at making contact with the field. On the second attempt they made contact with the field but the aircraft was not aligned properly and corrective air work had to be carried out to align the plane with the runway. The aircraft landed hard on the paved portion of the runway and rolled for what seemed like two seconds before it ran off the end of the runway into the grass.
O.P.I.:Commercial & Business Aviation Further Action Required:Yes

[phillyfan]

[b]"We ask that each employee accept the responsibility to communicate any information that may affect the integrity of flight safety. Employees must be assured that this communication will never result in reprisal, thus allowing a timely, uninhibited flow of information to occur."[/b]

Every time I hear about pilots taking off, when they know the weather is bad and then shooting 3 approaches to get in, the air carrier always has deeply rooted problems in its Policies, Procedures and Practices.

I am assuming the guy did not steal the airplane?

[GyvAir]

Two approaches.

[CpnCrunch]

Assuming they were doing the RNAV 29 approach, why would they not be aligned with the runway?

[CpnCrunch]

Some more info from Nanaimo Daily News, which seems to answer my question:

[After the first missed approach]
There were five other passengers and the first officer onboard as well as the pilot. Instead of continuing to Port [Alberni], the plane continued, enshrouded in cloud. "He flew blind for a number of minutes, then he must have seen a patch of runway beneath him because he twisted the aircraft quite suddenly" McMullen recalled. "He turned the plane very suddenly in mid-air. I think he was trying to find the runway...when he saw what he saw...he turned it really quickly and we started the final descent" he said.

It sounds almost as if the two pilots just did one approach, then did some circling in cloud, then yanked the plane down towards the runway through a hole in the clouds. Normally I'd take a passenger account with a pinch of salt, but in this case I can't really think of a better explanation.

[trey kule]

Assuming they were doing the RNAV 29 approach, why would they not be aligned with the runway?

Really? You cant think of any reason they would not be aligned with the runway?

I am generally pretty tolerant of oopsies, and I understand pilots reporting it maybe as a bit of an overrun.
But not reporting it all. I dont ever want to be flying a plane this crew has flown. Who knows what else they have done to an aircraft that they are not telling anyone about.

i hope TC will give both, (There were two pikots here), a good time out on their license to reflect on the need in our profession for taking responsability.
It would be interesting to see how it plays out.

[CpnCrunch]

Really? You cant think of any reason they would not be aligned with the runway?

Actually, I see it is an LNAV approach, so it could be out a bit especially if doing a dive+drive.

[human garbage]

Really? You cant think of any reason they would not be aligned with the runway?

Actually, I see it is an LNAV approach, so it could be out a bit especially if doing a dive+drive.

I was just going to point this out, but you got it.

Orca had one slide off the end in 2007 I think it was. That was due to a huge downpour combined with the tendency of that runway to hold standing water quite well. Hydroplaned off maybe 15'. The pilot reported immediately and was not disciplined IIRC. Mx was flown out to extricate/inspect the aircraft before it was ferried back to YVR. The pilot in that case was a consummate professional though...

Sounds like this latest accident was a circling or contact gone wrong. Not going to judge, I almost got it wrong there a couple of times myself doing the same. But not reporting it is unacceptable, I can't condone that at all.

Makes me think of FTUP (one of Orca's old birds) that had the spar bent and it wasn't reported. Discovered hours later at the event inspection and parted out. Guess times (or maybe just some types of pilots) don't change...