The incident aircraft. File photo. Copyright Jackson Reilly
Runway excursion (veer-off), Boeing 777-319ER, ZK-OKN, Auckland International Airport, 27 January 2023
Status
Closed
Occurrence Date
Report Publication Date
Jurisdiction
NZ
What happened
On the evening of Friday 27 January 2023, Boeing 777-319ER ZK-OKN was returning to land at Auckland, having flown from Auckland to Melbourne earlier that day. As the aeroplane approached Auckland, heavy rain was encountered and the wind changed in direction and strength.
As the aeroplane neared the runway it began to drift right of the runway centreline. Soon after touchdown it veered off the runway onto a sealed shoulder. The aeroplane struck six runway edge lights before returning to the centre of the runway.
The aeroplane was taxied to the gate and passengers off loaded. An inspection of the aeroplane revealed that five of the six right landing-gear tyres were damaged and one of these had deflated. There was also damage to the right brake assembly and wiring harness. There were no injuries.
Why it happened
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (the Commission) found that the heavy rain likely contributed to the decision to disengage the autopilot low in the approach. The timing of the autopilot disengagement combined with the technique used by the pilot flying, very likely resulted in there being insufficient time to correct the flightpath of the aeroplane before landing. The pilot flying was therefore unable to prevent the aeroplane drifting away from the centreline before landing and stop it veering off the runway after landing. The weather, while inclement, was above the minimum weather requirements throughout the approach and landing.
The Commission found it exceptionally unlikely that the heavy rain contaminated the runway to the extent that it caused the runway excursion.
While it was exceptionally unlikely that poor briefings contributed to the runway excursion, the Commission found that the approach and landing briefing did not meet the operator’s guidelines. For example, the briefing did not make any reference to how the final approach and landing were to be conducted.
What we can learn
Operator and aircraft manuals and procedures are designed to help ensure an aircraft is flown as safely as possible in both normal and adverse circumstances. Knowledge and understanding of these documents, complemented by an appropriate recurrent training programme, helps mitigate the risk of an adverse outcome.
It is important that crews act in a cohesive manner and are as prepared as possible for any unforeseen eventualities. A good briefing, which is a core element of crew resource management, helps ensure a crew has a shared mental model, that critical factors are identified and any risks reduced to acceptable levels.
Who may benefit
All pilots and operators may benefit from the findings and lessons in this report.
On the evening of Friday 27 January 2023, Boeing 777-319ER ZK-OKN was returning to land at Auckland, having flown from Auckland to Melbourne earlier that day. As the aeroplane approached Auckland, heavy rain was encountered and the wind changed in direction and strength.
As the aeroplane neared the runway it began to drift right of the runway centreline. Soon after touchdown it veered off the runway onto a sealed shoulder. The aeroplane struck six runway edge lights before returning to the centre of the runway.
The aeroplane was taxied to the gate and passengers off loaded. An inspection of the aeroplane revealed that five of the six right landing-gear tyres were damaged and one of these had deflated. There was also damage to the right brake assembly and wiring harness. There were no injuries.
Why it happened
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (the Commission) found that the heavy rain likely contributed to the decision to disengage the autopilot low in the approach. The timing of the autopilot disengagement combined with the technique used by the pilot flying, very likely resulted in there being insufficient time to correct the flightpath of the aeroplane before landing. The pilot flying was therefore unable to prevent the aeroplane drifting away from the centreline before landing and stop it veering off the runway after landing. The weather, while inclement, was above the minimum weather requirements throughout the approach and landing.
The Commission found it exceptionally unlikely that the heavy rain contaminated the runway to the extent that it caused the runway excursion.
While it was exceptionally unlikely that poor briefings contributed to the runway excursion, the Commission found that the approach and landing briefing did not meet the operator’s guidelines. For example, the briefing did not make any reference to how the final approach and landing were to be conducted.
What we can learn
Operator and aircraft manuals and procedures are designed to help ensure an aircraft is flown as safely as possible in both normal and adverse circumstances. Knowledge and understanding of these documents, complemented by an appropriate recurrent training programme, helps mitigate the risk of an adverse outcome.
It is important that crews act in a cohesive manner and are as prepared as possible for any unforeseen eventualities. A good briefing, which is a core element of crew resource management, helps ensure a crew has a shared mental model, that critical factors are identified and any risks reduced to acceptable levels.
Who may benefit
All pilots and operators may benefit from the findings and lessons in this report.
Location
Auckland International Airport (-37.008243,174.782839) [may be approximate]