AIN Staff

Al Gorthy’s recent NBAA webinar Runway Excursions, the Biz Av Perspective began with a recap of a few recent overrun accidents for perspective, namely those involving a Cessna Citation at Santa Monica, a Bombardier Challenger at Aspen and the Gulfstream GIV at Bedford, Massachusetts. According to Gorthy, who is the FAA’s assistant regional runway safety program manager, “75 percent of all business jet excursions happen on a dry runway more than 5,000 feet long.” Between 1995 and 2010, there were 660 runway excursions in the U.S., or about 44 each year. The ugly side of those relatively small numbers is that while only 10 percent of excursions involve fatalities, that number accounted for 1,100 deaths during the 1995-2010 period, more than either CFIT or loss of control. One reason excursions continue, according to Gorthy, is that too many pilots still believe it cannot happen to them. Predicting excursions is difficult, assuming the aircraft is mechanically sound and the checklist items have been followed accurately. One fact he mentioned that relates to around three quarters of the excursions in the takeoff mode, however, is that many pilots still attempt to halt the airplane beyond their calculated V1 decision speed. Gorthy said pilots try this because “they have an unrealistic assessment of how well their aircraft can actually stop.” As other sources have cited, however, Gorthy concluded that the number-one reason for an excursion during landing is the failure to execute a go-around from an unstable approach.

NBAA Gives Guidance on Runway Excursions

Excursions account for more fatalities than many pilots realize.

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