Scudrunners

The most recent runway incident came some 15 months after another ERJ 145 operated as United Express by Trans States from Washington Dulles International Airport overran Ottawa’s 8,000-foot Runway 07-25 by some 500 feet, again in wet weather. Both pilots and one of the 33 passengers suffered minor injuries in that accident, but the airplane sustained severe damage after its nose gear collapsed in the soft ground. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has not concluded its investigation into that June 16, 2010 accident.

The Board did cite several “operational and human factors” in a report on a 2004 overrun by another Trans States ERJ 145 that originated in Pittsburgh. Operating as US Airways Express, again in wet conditions, the aircraft approached Runway 07-25 “high, fast and not stabilized,” resulting in a touchdown almost halfway down the 8,000-foot runway. However, the report also said that the smooth landing most likely contributed to hydroplaning and that the anti-skid system most likely prevented the brake pressures from rising to normal values until 16 to 19 seconds after weight on wheels, resulting in little or no braking action immediately after landing.