Boeing 747-400F suffered a runway excursion after landing. Sky Lease flight GG4854, a Boeing 747-400F, suffered a runway excursion after landing at Halifax International Airport, Canada.
The aircraft departed Chicago-O’Hare International Airport, the USA at 07:02 UTC (01:02 local time) and arrived near Halifax at about 09:00 UTC (05:00 local time). The controller cleared the flight for an ILS approach to runway 14.
During the approach, the tower controller reported wind from 260° at 16 knots, gusting to 21 and asked the flight if runway 14 was still acceptable.
Runway 14 is a 2347m long asphalt runway and the 16-knot wind from 26° would translate to an 8-knot tailwind component.
After receiving a confirmation, the flight was subsequently cleared to land on runway 14.
After touching down the aircraft was unable to stop on the remaining runway.
https://twitter.com/HRMtrafficker/status/1060268345294028800
It overran the end and traveled down a grassy slope. The aircraft impacted an antenna array before coming to rest about 200 meters pas the end of the runway.
The aircraft suffered substantial damage. Photos from the scene show the fuselage broke behind the wings. The no.2 and no.3 engines (both inboard), as well as the undercarriage, was ripped off.
The crew of four on board were removed by fire crews and taken to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries.
Emergency Health Services spokesman Remo Zaccagna said two ambulances were sent to the airport, along with a supervisory unit.
“Patients were transported to the hospital, but due to privacy laws (we) cannot provide the nature of their injuries,” he said.
A spokesperson for the TSB said investigators will be photographing the scene and collecting flight data recorder information. They will also be speaking to air traffic controllers, looking at weather conditions and examining the maintenance history of the aircraft.
Had this thing skidded another 30 metres it would’ve been on Old Guysborough Road pic.twitter.com/GRRiq9bHTE
— Tim Bousquet (@Tim_Bousquet) November 7, 2018
Investigators with the Transportation Safety Board have arrived in Halifax after a 747 cargo aircraft went off the end of a runway early Wednesday morning at Halifax Stanfield International Airport and stopped not far from a public road.
Airport spokesperson Theresa Rath Spicer said the Sky Lease Cargo plane coming from Chicago was making a scheduled landing to pick up live lobster and then fly to China, with a stop in Alaska along the way. Rath Spicer said the lobster was instead picked up by Gateway Aviation to be transported to its destination.
The plane came to a stop less than 50 meters from a fence separating the airfield from Old Guysborough Road, a public two-lane road. The stretch between Oldham Road and Grove Road was closed to the public at around 9 a.m. but reopened by 4 p.m.
The landing gear was not visible and the nose of the white aircraft sustained moderate damage, but the underside of the plane appeared to be cracked and heavily damaged.
As well, the fuselage appeared to be bent about halfway along the length of the aircraft, where the outer skin was mangled. Mangled debris was scattered behind the plane.
An aluminum ladder trailed from an open main door near the front of the aircraft.
The airport had activated its emergency operations center and suspended all flights, but the main runway was reopened by 8 a.m.
The airfield was temporarily closed while a perimeter around the site was established, and then the main runway was allowed to reopen on a limited basis.
Four flights were diverted and the airport’s website was reporting delays and cancellations for both arriving and departing flights Wednesday morning.
