What happened
At Perth Airport, multiple aircraft experienced misaligned take-offs on runway 0 6. In one instance involving a Cessna 441, the flight crew initiated the take-off roll while positioned on the runway edge lighting rather than the centreline. During the roll, the crew identified they were off-centre and manoeuvred the aircraft toward the centreline to continue the departure. This specific misalignment was not reported to airport authorities until the aircraft arrived in Sydney several hours later. In a separate occurrence, a pilot detected an impact during the take-off roll and elected to return to the airport to inspect for potential damage.
The investigation
The investigation examined the runway environment of runway 06, finding that extra pavement existed on both sides of the runway without specific markings or lighting to delineate the usable surface from the adjacent area. This lack of visual cues led pilots to perceive the extra pavement as an extension of the runway. While regulatory markings were present, they were described as scuffed and difficult to see at night due to low contrast and a lack of reflective paint.
Furthermore, the investigation found that the absence of lead-on lights from the taxiway and the lack of runway centreline lighting created a high-risk environment. Because the first two edge lights on runway 06 appeared similar to centreline lights, and because pilots frequently used runway 03/21 (which does feature centreline lights), there was a significant risk of misidentification. The investigation also noted that the flight crew's attention was diverted during one incident by the simultaneous demands of completing pre-take-off checklists and communicating with air traffic control.
Findings
- The presence of un-marked extra pavement created the illusion of a wider usable runway.
- Degraded and non-reflective runway markings reduced visibility and contrast during night operations.
- The absence of lead-on lights and runway centreline lights on runway 06 contributed to pilots misidentifying edge lights as centreline lights.
- In one instance, the flight crew's focus on internal cockpit tasks and radio communications diverted attention from monitoring the aircraft's position on the runway.
- Differences in how pilots responded to the incidents—specifically the delay in reporting one misalignment—increased the risk of undetected damage to the aircraft or runway infrastructure.