CommunityAIR on safety at the Island Airport
Thankfully no one lost their life in the accident on Friday night at the Island Airport when a small plane overshot the runway and landed in the water, but it demonstrates what CommunityAIR has been saying about the Island Airport for some time. This is what we say about safety at the Island Airport on our website.
Safety
The Q400 is a very large airplane. Transport Canada and Bombardier claim that it is simply the next generation of a Dash8, but it is much longer and wider, at least 50% heavier and carries up to 78 passengers, double the number carried by the Dash8 planes that Air Canada Jazz flew from the island airport.
The mixture of aircraft at the island airport creates special problems at the island airport. Not only will there be several Q400s, but the island flight school trains people to become pilots. Trainees perform many flights in small aircraft, day and night. A number of small private planes also use the airport and there have been accidents with these aircraft. Two helicopter companies based at the island airport run tours and air ambulances and medevac planes fly in and out, as well.
This is a huge mix of different types of aircraft with different levels of skills of the pilots. We believe that as Porter Airlines multiplies its number of flights at its island airport hub, the airport will become a very dangerous place.
Not only will there be increased safety problems with the increase in traffic, there are also a number of other potential safety problems at the airport.
The Island Airport Runways and the Q400
The Toronto Island Airport has 3 runways. These runways cannot be lengthened because there is a moratorium prohibiting filling in Lake Ontario.
Transport Canada recommends that runways be long enough to accommodate the aircraft that use the runways most frequently but none of the runways at the island airport is long enough to accommodate a fully loaded Q400. Bombardier, the aircraft manufacturer, states the Q400 requires 1402 metres for take off and landing, almost 200 metres more than the longest runway.
Porter insists that the main runway at the island airport is adequate for the Q400 because it does not intend to fly the aircraft fully loaded. It is up to the airline to determine the aircraft weight and safety requirements, and Bombardier has said that the 1402 metres of runway are required only if one of the two engines fails on take off. Consequently, it claims, the runway lengths at the island airport are adequate.
But other jurisdictions do not agree.
Clearly the length of the runways at the island airport cause grave concerns about the use of the Q400, but there are other issues that illustrate that this airport is inappropriate for aircraft as large as the Q400.
When there is a strong crosswind, the Q400 will not be able to use the main runway and will have to use the north/south runway. It is only 850 metres in length, clearly not long enough for an aircraft this size, even if it is not fully loaded. During the four winter months, strong winds are a characteristic of the island airport because it is on the shore of Lake Ontario.
Bombardier engineers, in a paper titled “Attributes of the Dash8 Q400 in the Patrol Role,” state that with temperatures at 30+C, a 1829 metre runway is necessary to meet maximum weight take-off requirements of the Q400. That is 609 metres longer than the main runway. During July 2005, there were six days when temperatures reached 29C and six days when it reached 30+C.
In our opinion the runways at the Toronto Island Airport are not long enough for the Q400 to land and take off safely, whether fully loaded or not.
Stopways
A stopway is the safety area at the end of a runway where an aircraft can stop in the case of an abandoned take-off. The International Civil Aviation Organization calls for stopways to be a minimum of 90 metres long, and 240 metres long where possible.
The island airport’s stopway for its longest runway is 91 metres in the east. In the west the stopway is only 85 metres, 5 metres short of the international standard. There is no possibility to increase the length of the stopways because of the moratorium on filling the lake.
In our opinion the stopways at the island airport are not long enough for the Q400 to operate safely.
Pavement
The Q400 is a heavy aircraft, and the pavement must have sufficient strength to withstand the weight. According the Transport Canada website, the north/south runway, two of the taxiways and sections of the apron to be used by the Q400 will only support tire pressures of up to 0.5 MPa. The Q400 generally operates with tire pressures in the order of 0.8 to 0.9 MPa.
In our opinion substantial parts of the runways and taxiways are not strong enough to bear the weight of the Q400.
Pilot cautions
The island airport has an unusually large number of pilot cautions as listed in the Pilot Handbook issued by the Department of Transport.
This is an unusually large number of pilot cautions. Pearson International, for example, lists no pilot cautions. If there are serious hazards at the island airport today, they will become much more hazardous when air traffic is substantially increased and large aircraft, such as the Q400, are increasingly in use. There are also several tall buildings in the planning stages that will be built along Queen’s Quay, the railway lands, the area surrounding Fort York, the Distillery District and in the Port Lands.
In our opinion there are a number of serious pilot cautions at the Island Airport. These hazards will increase with the redevelopment of Toronto’s Waterfront and the use of large aircraft such as the Q400.
Bird strikes
Transport Canada regards all wildlife in and around airports as a potential hazard to aviation safety. The Toronto Island Airport is on the shore of Lake Ontario and has an estimated bird population of 100,000 shore birds, most of which are gulls or other large water fowl, such as geese and ducks.
The end of the main runway of the island airport is about 100 metres from a large bird sanctuary. Toronto Island is also a major migratory route for birds similar to Point Pelee. Birds are in abundance in and around the island and the island airport.
Transport Canada statistics show that shore birds and gulls in particular account for the greatest number of bird strikes, and eighty percent of bird strikes occur during takeoff and landing. The CADORS bird-strike report shows that Porter aircraft had six bird strikes at the island airport this summer.
Bird strikes can be so serious that the damaged aircraft may require new leading edge panels, prop blades or whole new propellers or even an engine change. One bird strike shattered a wing leading edge panel of a Q400 and left a hole big enough that a hand could fit through. The source for this information can be found by clicking here.
In our opinion bird strikes are a serious hazard at the Toronto Island Airport.
Weather
Because the island airport is on the shore of Lake Ontario, it is subject to various changes in the weather which can and do affect flight operations. A number of weather conditions are hazardous to aircraft such as the Q400.
Obstructions, such as tall buildings and smokestacks on the eastern approaches to the airport, limit operations in poor weather.
Lake fog in the spring and fall causes poor visibility at the airport.
Severe weather, such as gusty crosswinds, and air turbulence create difficult landing conditions.
The Q400 is certified to operate in crosswinds of up to 60 km/h. During February 2006, wind gusts over 60 km/h were recorded on 11 different days.
In our opinion the location of the island airport on Lake Ontario creates seasonal weather hazards that can be dangerous to large aircraft such as the Q400.
Safety
The Q400 is a very large airplane. Transport Canada and Bombardier claim that it is simply the next generation of a Dash8, but it is much longer and wider, at least 50% heavier and carries up to 78 passengers, double the number carried by the Dash8 planes that Air Canada Jazz flew from the island airport.
The mixture of aircraft at the island airport creates special problems at the island airport. Not only will there be several Q400s, but the island flight school trains people to become pilots. Trainees perform many flights in small aircraft, day and night. A number of small private planes also use the airport and there have been accidents with these aircraft. Two helicopter companies based at the island airport run tours and air ambulances and medevac planes fly in and out, as well.
This is a huge mix of different types of aircraft with different levels of skills of the pilots. We believe that as Porter Airlines multiplies its number of flights at its island airport hub, the airport will become a very dangerous place.
Not only will there be increased safety problems with the increase in traffic, there are also a number of other potential safety problems at the airport.
The Island Airport Runways and the Q400
The Toronto Island Airport has 3 runways. These runways cannot be lengthened because there is a moratorium prohibiting filling in Lake Ontario.
- The main runway, 08/26, is aligned east/west. It has three published lengths: 1220 metres, 1218 metres, and 1160 metres.
- Runway, 06/24, is aligned east/west. It is about 915 metres.
- Runway, 15/33, is aligned north/south. It is the shortest of the runways and is about 850 metres. This is the crosswind runway.
Transport Canada recommends that runways be long enough to accommodate the aircraft that use the runways most frequently but none of the runways at the island airport is long enough to accommodate a fully loaded Q400. Bombardier, the aircraft manufacturer, states the Q400 requires 1402 metres for take off and landing, almost 200 metres more than the longest runway.
Porter insists that the main runway at the island airport is adequate for the Q400 because it does not intend to fly the aircraft fully loaded. It is up to the airline to determine the aircraft weight and safety requirements, and Bombardier has said that the 1402 metres of runway are required only if one of the two engines fails on take off. Consequently, it claims, the runway lengths at the island airport are adequate.
But other jurisdictions do not agree.
- The people designing the Eureka-Humboldt Airport in California state that a minimum landing distance of 1828 metres is recommended to support regular operations by the Q400. This is one third longer than the island airport’s main runway.
- Proponents of an upgrade to the Friedman Memorial Airport in Sun Valley, Idaho, state that the airport’s current runway length of 2012 metres does not meet FAA recommendations for the types of aircraft, including the Q400s.
- Airport officials at Plymouth, England, say that the Q400 is too large to use on their runway which is 1161 metres.
- Transport Canada’s own Canadian Runway Friction Index recommends that a safe landing distance of 1741 metres is required for a turboprop. This is 521 metres longer than the island airport main runway.
Clearly the length of the runways at the island airport cause grave concerns about the use of the Q400, but there are other issues that illustrate that this airport is inappropriate for aircraft as large as the Q400.
When there is a strong crosswind, the Q400 will not be able to use the main runway and will have to use the north/south runway. It is only 850 metres in length, clearly not long enough for an aircraft this size, even if it is not fully loaded. During the four winter months, strong winds are a characteristic of the island airport because it is on the shore of Lake Ontario.
Bombardier engineers, in a paper titled “Attributes of the Dash8 Q400 in the Patrol Role,” state that with temperatures at 30+C, a 1829 metre runway is necessary to meet maximum weight take-off requirements of the Q400. That is 609 metres longer than the main runway. During July 2005, there were six days when temperatures reached 29C and six days when it reached 30+C.
In our opinion the runways at the Toronto Island Airport are not long enough for the Q400 to land and take off safely, whether fully loaded or not.
Stopways
A stopway is the safety area at the end of a runway where an aircraft can stop in the case of an abandoned take-off. The International Civil Aviation Organization calls for stopways to be a minimum of 90 metres long, and 240 metres long where possible.
The island airport’s stopway for its longest runway is 91 metres in the east. In the west the stopway is only 85 metres, 5 metres short of the international standard. There is no possibility to increase the length of the stopways because of the moratorium on filling the lake.
In our opinion the stopways at the island airport are not long enough for the Q400 to operate safely.
Pavement
The Q400 is a heavy aircraft, and the pavement must have sufficient strength to withstand the weight. According the Transport Canada website, the north/south runway, two of the taxiways and sections of the apron to be used by the Q400 will only support tire pressures of up to 0.5 MPa. The Q400 generally operates with tire pressures in the order of 0.8 to 0.9 MPa.
In our opinion substantial parts of the runways and taxiways are not strong enough to bear the weight of the Q400.
Pilot cautions
The island airport has an unusually large number of pilot cautions as listed in the Pilot Handbook issued by the Department of Transport.
- All arriving and departing aircraft are instructed to avoid flight over Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) grounds and Ontario Place.
- Two stacks are noted as hazards: the Hearn Power Generator and the incinerator on Leslie Street.
- Pilots are instructed not to fly over surrounding neighbourhoods, including Bathurst Quay, the residential condominiums along Queen’s Quay and the Toronto Island community.
- The wind turbine at the CNE is listed as a hazard.
- Pilots are warned about vessels with 120-foot masts in vicinity of final approach to all runways.
- Frequent banner towing activity over CNE is a hazard.
- The flagpole in Confederation Park is listed as a hazard.
- As well as these pilot cautions, a number of new highrise buildings have been approved around Fort York. A building on Fleet Street is 44 stories high.
This is an unusually large number of pilot cautions. Pearson International, for example, lists no pilot cautions. If there are serious hazards at the island airport today, they will become much more hazardous when air traffic is substantially increased and large aircraft, such as the Q400, are increasingly in use. There are also several tall buildings in the planning stages that will be built along Queen’s Quay, the railway lands, the area surrounding Fort York, the Distillery District and in the Port Lands.
In our opinion there are a number of serious pilot cautions at the Island Airport. These hazards will increase with the redevelopment of Toronto’s Waterfront and the use of large aircraft such as the Q400.
Bird strikes
Transport Canada regards all wildlife in and around airports as a potential hazard to aviation safety. The Toronto Island Airport is on the shore of Lake Ontario and has an estimated bird population of 100,000 shore birds, most of which are gulls or other large water fowl, such as geese and ducks.
The end of the main runway of the island airport is about 100 metres from a large bird sanctuary. Toronto Island is also a major migratory route for birds similar to Point Pelee. Birds are in abundance in and around the island and the island airport.
Transport Canada statistics show that shore birds and gulls in particular account for the greatest number of bird strikes, and eighty percent of bird strikes occur during takeoff and landing. The CADORS bird-strike report shows that Porter aircraft had six bird strikes at the island airport this summer.
Bird strikes can be so serious that the damaged aircraft may require new leading edge panels, prop blades or whole new propellers or even an engine change. One bird strike shattered a wing leading edge panel of a Q400 and left a hole big enough that a hand could fit through. The source for this information can be found by clicking here.
In our opinion bird strikes are a serious hazard at the Toronto Island Airport.
Weather
Because the island airport is on the shore of Lake Ontario, it is subject to various changes in the weather which can and do affect flight operations. A number of weather conditions are hazardous to aircraft such as the Q400.
Obstructions, such as tall buildings and smokestacks on the eastern approaches to the airport, limit operations in poor weather.
Lake fog in the spring and fall causes poor visibility at the airport.
Severe weather, such as gusty crosswinds, and air turbulence create difficult landing conditions.
The Q400 is certified to operate in crosswinds of up to 60 km/h. During February 2006, wind gusts over 60 km/h were recorded on 11 different days.
In our opinion the location of the island airport on Lake Ontario creates seasonal weather hazards that can be dangerous to large aircraft such as the Q400.
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