What happened
On the early morning of 30 January 2012, an Etihad Airways Airbus A330-243, registration A6-EYE, was prepared for a scheduled commercial flight from Abu Dhabi International Airport to Dublin. Due to heavy fog, the airport was operating under low visibility procedures, with visibility measured at approximately 175 meters.
During the takeoff roll on runway 31L, the flight crew aborted the maneuver at a ground speed of 86 knots. The decision to reject takeoff was prompted by the captain hearing loud, unusual thumping sounds originating from the nose landing gear. Once the aircraft had come to a complete stop, the crew discovered that the aircraft was not positioned on the runway centerline, but had instead drifted to the left-hand edge of the runway. The aircraft had traveled roughly 775 meters along this offset path. The excursion resulted in no injuries to the 227 people on board, but the event caused a puncture to one nose wheel tire and damaged 11 runway edge lights.
The investigation
The GCAA AAIS investigation focused on several critical elements of the low visibility operation, including the effectiveness of airport lighting for CAT III operations, the flight crew's adherence to low visibility procedures, and the adequacy of the airport's surface movement guidance. Investigators examined flight data, cockpit voice recordings, and airfield lighting control systems to determine why the aircraft departed the centerline.
Findings
Investigators concluded that the primary cause for the aircraft's misalignment with the runway centerline was a loss of situational awareness by the crew. While the specific root cause for this loss of awareness could not be definitively established, the investigation noted that the aircraft was operating in significantly reduced visibility.
Safety action
Following the incident, Etihad Airways implemented several corrective measures, including:
- Providing additional training and checking for the involved crew members.
- Enhancing low visibility training to focus on identifying visual cues, such as lighting, to maintain aircraft position.
- Updating standard operating procedures to include selecting the runway ILS as a method to confirm centerline alignment.
- Implementing procedures for pilots to verify the aircraft's position using visual markings and lights prior to the takeoff roll.
The GCAA AAIS also issued several safety recommendations to the UAE authorities and ICAO, suggesting enhancements to regulations regarding runway lighting specifications, the requirement for pilots to verify takeoff positions during low visibility, and the implementation of medical examination procedures for personnel following such occurrences.