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Several factors led to 2011 cargo plane accident

Feb. 13, 2013, St. John's - Federal investigators say a cargo plane landed at a higher than normal speed when it overshot a runway at the airport in St. John's, N.L., in 2011.


February 13, 2013  By The Canadian Press

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada also says the jet landed about 600 metres down the runway, giving it less distance to stop.

Investigators say a combination of worn tires and a wet runway on July 16, 2011, caused the Boeing 727 to hydroplane during braking, which resulted in a loss of steering.

There were no injuries among the three crew members on the flight, operated by Kelowna Flightcraft Air Charter Ltd.

There was minor damage to the plane, which arrived in St. John's from Moncton, N.B., at about 8:15 a.m. that day.

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The safety board says Kelowna Flightcraft has improved training for its pilots on landing distances, braking, landing on wet runways and crosswind landings.

The St. John's International Airport Authority has also expanded a testing program to better understand the condition of its runways when they are wet.

The board says the accident in St. John's shows the need for timely reports to pilots on runway conditions and underscores why
runway overruns are on a watchlist it keeps on areas where safety can be improved.

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