Air Canada Flight 759 Crash
On March 29, 2015, Air Canada Flight 759, a Boeing 767-300ER operating a scheduled international passenger flight from Toronto Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Ontario, to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France, crashed on landing at approximately 03:43 UTC at Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The aircraft came to rest approximately 330 metres (1,080 ft) short of the runway threshold, with its nose gear collapsed and its fuselage broken in three places. Of the 133 passengers and 6 crew members on board, 23 people were killed and 9 others were seriously injured.
Investigation
The investigation into the crash was led by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB). The TSB’s final report, released on March 16, 2017, concluded that the crash was caused by a combination of factors, including:
- The aircraft’s approach and landing speed was too high. The aircraft was flying at a speed of 170 knots (315 km/h; 196 mph) when it touched down, which was 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) above the recommended speed.
- The pilot’s use of manual braking was ineffective. The pilot applied manual braking after the aircraft touched down, but the braking was not effective in slowing the aircraft down.
- The aircraft’s spoilers were not deployed. The spoilers are devices that are used to reduce lift and increase drag on an aircraft. The spoilers were not deployed until after the aircraft had touched down, which reduced their effectiveness.
The TSB also found that the following factors contributed to the crash:
- The pilot’s fatigue. The pilot had been on duty for 15 hours and 30 minutes at the time of the crash.
- The weather conditions. The weather conditions at the time of the crash were poor, with snow and fog.
- The lack of a wind shear detection system at the airport. A wind shear detection system could have alerted the pilot to the presence of wind shear, which could have caused the aircraft to lose lift.
Recommendations
The TSB made a number of recommendations to the Canadian government, the airline industry, and the airport operator in response to the crash. These recommendations included:
- Requiring airlines to install wind shear detection systems at all airports where they operate.
- Improving pilot training on how to respond to wind shear.
- Reducing pilot fatigue.
- Improving the design of aircraft spoilers.
Aftermath
The crash of Air Canada Flight 759 was a tragic event that resulted in the deaths of 23 people. The TSB’s investigation into the crash identified a number of factors that contributed to the accident, and made a number of recommendations to improve safety in the aviation industry.
The airline industry and the Canadian government have taken steps to implement many of the TSB’s recommendations. For example, all Canadian airports are now required to have wind shear detection systems, and airlines have improved pilot training on how to respond to wind shear. These measures have helped to improve safety in the aviation industry, and have helped to prevent similar accidents from happening in the future.
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