Aviation regulator to investigate ‘go around’

| 26/03/2015 | 24 Comments

(CNS): A departing United Airlines plane, which was still on the tarmac at Owen Roberts International Airport on Sunday, appears to have triggered an incident report and investigation after an incoming Cayman Airways aircraft was forced to go around. Although few details regarding the event have been released, the airport confirm that it had submitted a report to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the air traffic regulator.

Officials confirmed Thursday that the incident was thoroughly  investigated by Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)  who are “satisfied that all parties acted with the highest professionalism and safety was not compromised.”

In a short statement addressing some public concerns that there had been a near miss at the airport, on which was not being made public, the Cayman Islands Airport Authority said on Wednesday:

“CIAA has completed its investigation into an occurrence at Owen Roberts International Airport (ORIA) on Sunday, 22 March involving two airlines.  One of the airlines flight departure was briefly delayed and the other had to go around before being cleared for landing. As part of the formal investigation, a report was submitted by CIAA to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as is the norm for any such occurrence. This is not a frequent occurrence and at no time was safety compromised.”

It is not clear if the reports regarding the incident in which the incoming jet was directed to go around until the departing flight had cleared the runway will be made public.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    CNS, you might want to check this out.

    The United aircraft was asked to return to the terminal area to allow the CAL flight to make an ‘unscheduled’ (as in emergency) landing but failed to clear the runway in time forcing the go-around.

    Suggestion is that the ‘rescheduling’ might be fuel related, as in lack of.

  2. Anonymous says:

    No local employees will have their positions jeopardized as a result of any investigation.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Thank God we have the best pilots in the world here at Cayman Airways! God bless our national airline and the Caymanian pilots that keep our skies a safer place!

    • Anonymous says:

      If you only knew

    • Diogenes says:

      Read the report in the Compass today – you may wish to reconsider. Tower is saying the inbound KX flight misreported their position, and the go around was instructed by the tower – not initiated by the pilots – when the KX flight was already over the cricket pitch (and the UA flight on the runway). If either allegation is true, “best pilots in the world” is not the term I would be using.

  4. Anonymous says:

    The Cayman Islands Air Traffic Association has made a public statement, available for viewing on their facebook page, information here; https://www.facebook.com/ciatca

  5. Anonymous says:

    Must have been a slow news week because this kind of stuff happens all the time. Quit blowing it out of proportion ppl! Jeez!

  6. Anonymous says:

    CNS all you got to do is look at soem of the ATC FB pages and you will see what they are doing in the tower regularly.

  7. Anonymous says:

    This happens hundred of times every day at airports around the world. I am a frequent flyer and have flown on aircraft/airlines around the world and have experienced numerous aborted landings and takeoffs for various reasons including this type. Pilots are trained to do what is necessary if these situations occur. Stop reading more into this than needs be .

    Oh and by the way Austin, stop with the sensationalism and leave that for David Legge and the Barefoot Man. You will never be able to compete with them..They have the area of the media covered…you don’t stand a chance…

  8. Anonymous says:

    The fact that the pilot of the incoming plane choose to abort because of the airplane in his way and NO ONE else had a clue of the problem shows the real problem at the Cayman Airport. The fact that those in charge of the airport still doesn’t see a problem just confirms it.

  9. Anonymous says:

    Here’s another reason why we should abandon this arrogant, rude, obstructive, and potentially dangerous practice of giving Cayman Airways aircraft an irrational and arbitrary tower priority over other arriving/departing airport traffic. It’s bad enough that our airline schedules their arriving and departing flights to overlap with other airline schedules so as to cause maximum airport havoc. Yet we add this CAL and CAL Express mindset where pilots (apparently) assume that they will be provided their clear approach even at the busiest times of the day. How else could there be a “surprise” go-around, other than through a tower miscommunication? Time to cease this childish messing around in the misguided name of territorial pride. Yes, I’ve heard the argument that this is what other airlines do to CAL at other airports. It shouldn’t mean we reward these perceived slights with our own twisted and deliberate discourtesies that potentially compromise passenger safety. That’s not what the Cayman Islands should be about. We need to grow up and take a more mature and respectful high road on these things. There should be no room for vengeful behavior at an international airport delivering the lifeblood of our economy!

  10. Driftwood says:

    Damn tourists, they don’t get Cayman driving….. Was the U.S. plane at the roundabout at the end of the runway?

    • Anonymous says:

      You’re so proud of your Driftwood title,I bet you used it long before Ozzie.Hope you don’t get offended when someone calls you that in person.

      • Driftwood says:

        Hope that one day you acquire a sense of humor and realize just how infantile your quip sounds.

  11. Anonymous says:

    We have had similar occurrences in the past and investigations by the Cayman Islands Airport Authority always end with this same result. Surely there is a conflict of interest having the CIAA investigate it’s own air traffic control operations?.

    • Sharkey says:

      Yes 4:24 pm, the problem with this not been evaluated by a independent investigation will cause a devastating disaster for the Cayman Islands . Remember the old saying, that the bucket can only make so many trips to the well before the bottom drop out.

  12. Anonymous says:

    So if it is the case that a KX flight was still on the tarmac, for whatever reason, and another plane in holding had to abort landing until given the clear to land; what is the big hoopla about?!!

    I realize that this island is full of “experts” who saw both planes and thought they were on a collision course. This is not unheard of, planes aborting landing because of delayed traffic, weather or even birds.

    This a non-issue. The way some people were talking about this, you could have sworn that both planes were fighting over the tarmac.

    • Anonymous says:

      Sure sounds like a lot of people became experts overnight OMG! They have not a clue. Almost sounds like when Kernohan was trying to buy the helicopter. Every idiot in town thought they knew everything about it.

    • Anonymous says:

      The issue is that CAL and CAL Express have a longstanding mindset of priority even at the busiest times of the day, and even when at times there may already be a guest airline taxiing, as in this case. Causing needless anxious moments in the tower is unacceptable when a go-around or holding pattern is part of normal air traffic control. That this miscommunication can occur with less than a handful of aircraft in the air for a 50 mile radius is also concerning from a tower control perspective. CIAA, CAL, and United should have a group huddle to ensure incident free traffic management at our single runway airport with no parallel taxiway.

      • Anonymous says:

        So you are into mind reading now.Stop letting your imagination run wild in an attempt to smear .

    • Anonymous says:

      The KX flight was wheels down on final approach and visually saw the United flight on the tarmac in take off position, then decided to abort the landing and went around allowing the United flight to get off the runway. So lets say there may have been a bit more “hoopla” had it been a cloudy day.

      • Anonymous says:

        If (God forbid) the pilot on approach just went for it and there was a problem for either aircraft and the people in it would you consider that “Hoopla” enough? Soon Come right?

    • Kadafe says:

      This is the most sensible comment on this thread. Your spot on. This is a normal occurrence and at no time was safety compromised.

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