We don't give a darn how they do aviation Outside!

[alaskaflyer]

http://www.anchoragepress.com/articles/2008/11/20/news/doc4924831141bbd480820118.txt

Last week, the state of Alaska replaced some traffic-control gates at the Unalaska Airport.

The old gates proved insufficient in April of this year, when an airplane collided with the top of a tractor-trailer rig, then crashed on the runway. The airplane was a Grumman “Goose” G-21A, operated by Peninsula Airways. The tractor-trailer was owned by Horizon Lines of Alaska. Last month, Pen Air filed suit against Horizon, claiming the truck driver caused the accident by ignoring warning lights and driving into the path of the airplane.

All nine people onboard the plane survived, although one passenger broke her hand. The flashing warning lights worked the day of the accident, but the gates that were meant to drop in front of traffic did not, according a preliminary report from a National Transportation Safety Board official who investigated the crash. The NTSB investigator also wrote that the truck driver reported waiting about 45 seconds but saw no airplane, and proceeded onto the runway while red warning lights were flashing.

OK, but get this:

The gates at the Unalaska airport are something of an oddity. Both the gates and warning lights are operated remotely by the pilot, using the airplane’s radio. Approaching pilots tune to a certain frequency and key their radio microphone seven times to signal the gate to drop. Pilots are also responsible for turning the warning lights off and raising the gates once they land or take-off.

 

[tonycondon]

wacky

 

[Dave Krall CFII]

wacky

Sounds like everybody was at fault, why didn't the PIC go around I wonder?

 

[alaskaflyer]

Sounds like everybody was at fault, why didn't the PIC go around I wonder?

http://ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20080414X00473&key=1

Concurrently, he said he could see a large truck and trailer rig stopped at the intersection, adjacent to the southern traffic gate. During the approach, the pilot continued to intermittently watch the truck to be sure that it did not start moving. He configured the airplane for landing by lowering the airplane's landing gear and flaps, and completed his final prelanding checklist. The pilot said that as the airplane approached the runway threshold, he realized that the truck was now moving, and it was well within the threshold area. The pilot applied full engine power and pulled the nose up in an attempt to go-around, but as the airplane began to climb, the aft section of the airplane's belly and empennage struck the top of the trailer van.

 

[SkyHog]

How weird!

STOP LGT FOR VEH TFC CROSSING RY 30 THR; KEY 122.6 7 TIMES FOR ON; 3 TIMES FOR STOP LGT & REIL OFF.

FOR SEAPLANE GATE OPERATION KEY 122.8 - 7 TIMES TO OPEN 3 TIMES TO CLOSE; GATE CLOSES AUTOMATICALLY AFTER 5 MINUTES.

STOP LGT FOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC CROSSING RY 30 THR MUST BE ACTIVATED & DEACTIVATED FOR EACH ACFT OPERATION OVER THR.

 

[KennyFlys]

That would seem like an ideal candidate location to have gates that remain close and are unable to be opened while an aircraft is detected anywhere on the runway by optical sensors.

I recall a similar idea to be used by LASHO or something along those lines.

 

[Dave Krall CFII]

http://ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20080414X00473&key=1

It doesn't appear that the PIC was somehow on the blind side, such as flying from the right seat, so couldn't see the truck proceeding north just before touchdown. Was it possible that he was not only slow to initiate his go around, as well as forgeting a more advantageous quick bank & swerve to the right (north) with plenty of already available kinetic energy?

 

[sba55]

Doesn't sound like the PIC did anything wrong.

I've told myself many times that if a collision of any sort is imminent, I won't try any abrupt maneuvers to avoid it. Doing so usually makes the outcome a lot worse. For the most part, I'm thinking about encountering an obstacle (deer, for example) while driving, but it applies to flying as well. I wouldn't try swerving at really low altitude with the gear and flaps down.

-Felix

 

[flyingcheesehead]

How weird!

STOP LGT FOR VEH TFC CROSSING RY 30 THR; KEY 122.6 7 TIMES FOR ON; 3 TIMES FOR STOP LGT & REIL OFF.

FOR SEAPLANE GATE OPERATION KEY 122.8 - 7 TIMES TO OPEN 3 TIMES TO CLOSE; GATE CLOSES AUTOMATICALLY AFTER 5 MINUTES.

STOP LGT FOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC CROSSING RY 30 THR MUST BE ACTIVATED & DEACTIVATED FOR EACH ACFT OPERATION OVER THR.

Where'd ya get that? The seaplane one is still listed on airnav, but vehicle traffic crossing one isn't. Looking at Google Maps, it appears that they simply built the road along the beach and around the end of the runway, so no more gates. It's also not entirely clear what the "seaplane gate" is for, though it looks like amphibs might be able to taxi up a boat launch style thing and onto the ramp. (just north/northeast of the 30 threshold if you're looking at G-maps). http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8...=53.89514,-166.538572&spn=0.0044,0.01031&z=17

Something else pretty rare there: An NDB/DME - Tune your NDB to 283, and your DME to 113.9. And four NDB airways. Old-school!

 

[SkyHog]

Where'd ya get that? The seaplane one is still listed on airnav, but vehicle traffic crossing one isn't. Looking at Google Maps, it appears that they simply built the road along the beach and around the end of the runway, so no more gates. It's also not entirely clear what the "seaplane gate" is for, though it looks like amphibs might be able to taxi up a boat launch style thing and onto the ramp. (just north/northeast of the 30 threshold if you're looking at G-maps). http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8...=53.89514,-166.538572&spn=0.0044,0.01031&z=17

Something else pretty rare there: An NDB/DME - Tune your NDB to 283, and your DME to 113.9. And four NDB airways. Old-school!

I got it from Airnav. Its listed on the runway remarks.

 

[Dave Krall CFII]

Doesn't sound like the PIC did anything wrong.

I've told myself many times that if a collision of any sort is imminent, I won't try any abrupt maneuvers to avoid it. Doing so usually makes the outcome a lot worse. For the most part, I'm thinking about encountering an obstacle (deer, for example) while driving, but it applies to flying as well. I wouldn't try swerving at really low altitude with the gear and flaps down.

-Felix

I have swerved abruptly (70-80 degrees) at the last second while gliding a T-Skylane down dirty and in ground effect, to avoid cars under phone lines along a road with an engine out and would do it again because it's so fast and easy. Countless times swerving abruptly while driving on roads in heavy trucks and cars for various reasons too, with no damage whereas not swerving would have meant anything from a fenderbender to severe headon damage.