A report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch found that the Norwegian Airlines plane took off from the runway 417m beyond its intended starting point, leaving the plane with just 600m of runway left as it hit the skies at 155mph. This could have had catastrophic consequences had the plane needed to abort take-off.
The runway was fitted with a sign in the early 1990s, following reports of issues ‘over many years’ with crews not able to identify the start of the runway for take-off. The sign is covered when the runway is not in use and is illuminated at night. However, according to the investigation none of the crew of the aircraft in questions saw the sign.
The report says: “The crew did not identify the beginning of the runway and taxied forward to the landing threshold before beginning their take-off. This decreased the take-off distance available and meant that the aircraft did not meet regulated performance requirements for its actual take-off weight.
The sign is covered when the runway is not in use and is illuminated at night. However, according to the investigation none of the crew of the aircraft in questions saw the sign”
“The distance available for the take-off would have been insufficient had an aircraft engine failed and had the crew decided to stop, a runway overrun could have occurred.”
Reports have shown there to be at least four other incidents involving the same runway where an aircraft began its take-off from the landing threshold instead of at the start of the runway. Gatwick Airport has put further measures in place to ensure that pilots and crew know where the beginning of the runway is.
Runways use combination of signs and markings outlined by the Civil Aviation Authority to ensure the safe operation of an airport. An investigation by Gatwick Airport found that runway markings were not EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) compliant.
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