On July 7th, 2017, an Air Canada Airbus A320-211 marginally missed landing on a Taxiway crowded with four airplanes awaiting departure. The crisis was averted in a split second response, which could have turned into “the greatest aviation disaster in history.”
The Air Canada plane was performing the flight ACA759 from Toronto Pearson International Airport to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) when the incident occurred. According to the Federal Aviation Authority, the plane was headed to the runway 28R that had been cleared for the aircraft’s landing at 11:56 pm. The pilot accidentally made its way to the parallel Taxiway C, that held four other aircraft fully fueled, filled with passengers, and awaiting departure.
When the craft got close to the taxiway, pilot observed the lights and asked air traffic control, if he was clear to land. As soon as the air traffic control informed him that there were no other aircrafts on his runway, another voice was heard saying, “Where’s this guy going? He’s on the taxiway.” The pilot was immediately instructed “go around” and line up for another landing. The plane got within 51 feet of the airplanes underneath, one of which was the Philippine Airlines flight 115.
Watch the video below to see how close the aircraft actually got to the ground, before it was averted due to the conversation that went on between the pilots and the air traffic controller.
