TORONTO- In Toronto on March 22, 2024, the KLM (KL) Boeing 787 pilots decided to abort takeoff when air traffic controllers recognized that their aircraft was accelerating toward another 787 still occupying the same runway.
This incident, documented by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) in a report on April 10th, underscores a concerning runway occurrence, particularly as safety authorities, particularly in the USA, strive to mitigate such incidents.
KLM 787 Pilots Aborts Takeoff
The incident occurred at Toronto Pearson International Airport around 21:09 local time, involving two Boeing 787s coming within 5,400ft (1,646m) of each other. The KLM jet, accelerating on the runway, could have closed the distance rapidly if not instructed by controllers to abort take-off. The KLM 787 came within 5,400ft of the LOT (LO) 787.
According to the TSB, the KLM aircraft, a 787-10 with registration PH-BKC, was halted near the end of runway 6L, awaiting clearance for departure. Meanwhile, with registration SP-LSB, the LOT Polish Airlines 787-9 was landing on the same runway.
As soon as the LOT jet touched down, the pilots of the KLM 787 began taxiing onto the runway. The TSB reports that the LOT jet was nearing the runway exit at taxiway C5 when air traffic controllers authorized the KLM 787 for take-off.
LOT 787 Obstructed the Active Runway
As the KLM jet accelerated, the LOT pilots opted to continue taxiing down the runway and exit at taxiway C7, located near the end of the runway.
The control tower at Pearson instructed the KLM pilots to abort take-off as the jet was speeding down the runway at approximately 110 knots (240 km/h).
The pilots successfully slowed the jet down and taxied off the runway.
In the past year, several close calls at US airports have drawn the attention of regulators and lawmakers. These incidents include a Southwest Airlines (WN) 737 700 being cleared for take-off from Austin while a FedEx 767-300ER was in the process of landing.
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