A Kamaka Air Cargo flight that landed at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in January came within 1,173 feet of a United Airlines flight that arrived from Denver on the same runway, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The runway incursion occurred at 4:11 p.m.
Jan. 23 when United Airlines Flight 384 from Denver, a Boeing 777-200, crossed runway 4L and conflicted with a Kamaka Air Flight 145, a Cessna 208B, which was landing on the same runway after departing Lihue, according to the report.
“The closest proximity between the two airplanes was 1,173 feet. There were no injuries to the 291 passengers and 10 crew onboard UAL384 or to the 2 crew members onboard KMK145. Neither aircraft was damaged,” reads the report.
United referred all questions about the NTSB’s preliminary findings to the NTSB. Kamaka Air Cargo did not immediately
reply to a Honolulu Star-
Advertiser request for comment.
Information obtained by the NTSB air traffic control group indicated that at 4:04 p.m. the United flight radioed the Honolulu control tower and said they were at 1,500 feet and planning to land on runway 4R.
The tower conveyed wind information and cleared them to land on runway 4R.
At about the same time, the pilot of the Kamaka flight reported they were descending to 1,500 feet for landing on runway 4L.
The Kamaka pilot was told to continue to runway 4L and that “traffic was a heavy Boeing 777 landing on runway 4R.” The pilot responded that they were continuing to 4L, they saw the United flight and would park on the north ramp, according to the report.
The Kamaka pilot was told to maintain “visual separation” from the Boeing 777, warned about wake turbulence and conveyed that he was cleared to land on runway 4L. He correctly read back all three instructions from the air traffic controller, according to the report.
At 4:08 p.m. the United flight was confirmed to land on runway 4R. After landing, the first officer of the United flight transferred control to the plane’s captain, and at
4:09 p.m. the tower instructed the United captain to “hold short,” or stay away from the taxiway centerline or runway.
The United captain told investigators that he was “surprised by the hold short instruction” since he had told approach control that they were unable to land and hold short of the intersecting runway or taxiway on runway 4R.
“He indicated that he lost situational awareness as they exited runway 4R as he thought there was more distance between the runways than there actually was. He was concerned about getting clear of the landing runway and was focused on clearing the hold short line between runway 4R and taxiway K,” according to the report.
The captain also told investigators that “there doesn’t appear to be enough room” for a 210-foot-long Boeing-777 to be fully clear of runway 4R and still hold short of runway 4L.
“By the time he realized they were passing the runway 4R hold bars painted on the taxiway they were already on runway 8L and had crossed onto runway 4L,” according to the preliminary findings from the NTSB.
The tower became aware of the incursion
and instructed the Kamaka pilot to hold short of runway 8L, which he did. In a phone interview with NTSB investigators, the
Kamaka pilot said they “normally” exit at taxiway “E,” which was prior to runway 8L, which they did, and that “no evasive action was needed or taken.”
