History of Flight
On 30 May 2007, at approximately 0555 hours local time, the crew of an Airbus A340 (registration A40-LH) prepared for a scheduled passenger service from Singapore Changi Airport. The crew received flight documents from the airline's handling agent, which included a weather chart, wind charts, computerized flight plan, ATC flight plan, the airline's weekly Far East NOTAM, daily stop press and operational notices, and an extract of Changi AIP SUP 48/07. The airline's Far East NOTAM did not contain information on the reduced Take-off Run Available (TORA) of Runway 20C because the Changi NOTAM A1045/07 was not processed into the airline's NOTAM system.
Before departure, the First Officer (FO) listened to Automated Terminal Information Service (ATIS) information "B", which indicated that Runway 20C was closed due to work in progress. Based on this, the FO calculated take-off performance for Runway 20R. Later, the crew contacted Clearance Delivery and were cleared for departure on Runway 20C. The ATCO stated that Runway 20C was now opened for departure and noted that it was the shorter runway. However, the crew did not update their ATIS information; all subsequent ATIS updates from 0501 hours onwards indicated that Runway 20C was open with a TORA of 2,500 m. At the time of take-off (0555 hrs), ATIS information "E" was current.
During take-off, the pilot flying noticed the distance-coded runway centreline lights indicating the impending end of the runway. He applied TOGA (Take-Off Go Around) power and rotated abruptly at a high rate to expedite lift-off. The crew had calculated take-off performance based on the original TORA of 4,000 m, unaware of the temporary shortening to 2,500 m due to resurfacing works.
Analysis
The investigation revealed that the flight crew did not obtain the current ATIS information prior to departure from Runway 20C. The ATCO's advice about the operating condition of Runway 20C was not fully heeded. Additionally, the airline did not process the relevant NOTAM (Changi NOTAM A1045/07) into its internal NOTAM system, leading to the crew lacking essential information about the shortened runway.
Conclusion
Significant factors: The following were identified as significant factors in the incident: 1. The flight crew did not obtain the current ATIS information prior to departure from Runway 20C. 2. The flight crew did not heed the Air Traffic Control Officer's advice concerning the operating condition of Runway 20C. 3. The airline did not process a NOTAM published by the local authority (Changi NOTAM A1045/07) into its internal NOTAM system.
Other findings: Other aspects of the incident were documented but did not contribute directly to the occurrence.
Safety Actions
Following the incident, safety actions were taken by relevant parties. (Details of safety actions and recommendations are included in the full report.)