Two airplanes narrowly avoided construction workers by just 14 feet, as per a recent report. A Malaysia Airlines Airbus A330 overshot the runway during takeoff from Melbourne Airport en route to Kuala Lumpur, passing by work vehicles within seven feet.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) revealed that the runway had been temporarily shortened for resurfacing. Subsequently, a Bambooo Airways Boeing 787 also overran the same runway 11 days later while departing for Hanoi, Vietnam, passing by construction works within five feet.
Fortunately, no physical injuries were reported in either incident, although a worker experienced a stress-related injury during the second occurrence. The runway had been reduced from 12,000 feet to approximately 6,853 feet, with both airline crews informed of the change before their flights.
According to ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell, the flight crews failed to recognize the significantly shortened runway despite notification in their flight briefing packs. While the crews accessed weather information mentioning the reduced runway length, they did not relay this crucial detail to air traffic control.
The ATSB report indicated that the temporary runway length was considered by each airline’s flight dispatcher before takeoff, although this information was not prominently emphasized in the pre-flight briefings. Changes have since been implemented by Airservices Australia and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to provide essential aerodrome information regarding reduced runway lengths due to construction works.
Malaysia Airlines and Bamboo Airways have been contacted for comment by the Mirror.
