Incident Overview
On January 29, 2006, an Airbus A319-114 (registration C-FYKR) operating as Air Canada Flight 596 departed Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (KLAS) for Montreal. The aircraft carried 84 passengers and five crew members. During the initial take-off roll from Runway 25R, the flight crew realized the aircraft was positioned on the asphalt runway shoulder rather than the centerline.
Operational Sequence
The pilot flying initiated a rolling take-off at 0015 Pacific Standard Time while maintaining visual separation from a preceding aircraft. At approximately 64 knots indicated airspeed, about 800 feet down the runway, the pilot applied left rudder to realign with the centerline. The correction was made roughly 11 seconds into the roll. The aircraft regained the paved runway surface near the displaced threshold and continued its take-off without interruption.
Damage and Investigation
Post-incident inspection revealed three damaged runway edge lights and a cut on the left-hand nose-wheel tire. No injuries were reported. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) led the investigation, with participation from the NTSB. Analysis indicated that the pilot flying likely misinterpreted the continuous white runway side stripe marking as the centerline, particularly given that Canadian regulations typically interrupt such markings at taxiway intersections. The crew’s attention was divided by the requirement to maintain visual separation from the departing aircraft ahead.