Two airplanes carrying numerous passengers narrowly avoided construction workers by a mere 14 feet, according to a recent report. The incident involved a Malaysia Airlines Airbus A330 that exceeded the runway during takeoff from Melbourne Airport on its way to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, passing within seven feet of construction vehicles.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) disclosed that the runway had been temporarily shortened for resurfacing projects, leading to the close calls. Just 11 days later, a Bambooo Airways Boeing 787 also overran the same runway during departure to Hanoi, Vietnam, passing within five feet of construction activities. The ATSB mentioned that the construction area was impacted by jet blasts in both instances.
Fortunately, no physical injuries were reported during either incident, although a worker experienced a stress-related injury in the second event. The runway’s length was reduced from 12,000 feet to approximately 6,853 feet, with both airlines notifying their flight crews about the change before departure, as confirmed by the ATSB.
ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell highlighted that neither flight crew recognized the significantly shortened runway, despite receiving relevant notices in their pre-flight briefings. While the crews accessed weather information related to the shortened runway, they failed to mention the reduced length to air traffic control.
The report pointed out that the temporary runway length was taken into account by the airlines’ flight dispatchers, but this crucial information was not prominently emphasized during the crews’ pre-flight preparations. Adjustments have been made by Airservices Australia and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to provide vital aerodrome information regarding runway works that reduce available runway lengths.
Malaysia Airlines and Bamboo Airways have been contacted for comments regarding the incidents.