By Leithen Francis in Singapore and Darren Shannon in Washington
Korean Air 737-900 lands on taxiway at Akita and Frontier A319 makes late go-around at Denver to avoid Metro
Two serious landing incidents this month involving narrowbody airliners are under investigation. One involved a Boeing 737-900 that landed on a taxiway in Japan, and the other a runway incursion that brought an Airbus A319 within 145ft (44m) of a turboprop freighter during an aborted landing in Denver, USA.
Japanese authorities are investigating the taxiway landing incident on 6 January that involved a Korean Air (KAL) 737-900. KAL confirms the aircraft, which was on a scheduled flight from Seoul Incheon, landed on a 30m-wide taxiway at Akita airport in the north of Japan's main island.
The airline will not comment on reports claiming that the captain admitted the incident was due to pilot error, but it does confirm that it was "raining at the time". There was no damage to the aircraft and no injuries to the 124 passengers and eight crew on board, says the airline, which confirms that the Japanese authorities are investigating. KAL adds that the Japanese authorities detained the aircraft's pilots for questioning.
Meanwhile, the US National Transportation Safety Board is investigating why a Fairchild Metro III inadvertently taxied on to a runway at Denver on 5 January, forcing a Frontier Airlines A319 to make a last-minute go-around, narrowly avoiding a collision.
The incident, which is detailed in a preliminary report issued by the NTSB and confirmed by Frontier, occurred at 07:28 during the third snowstorm to hit the airport in two weeks. There was low cloud at the time of the incident.
The NTSB says the crew of the Frontier Airbus only saw the Metro - operated by Colorado-based charter carrier Key Lime Air - after emerging from the low cloud. The Frontier crew immediately executed a missed approach, adds the NTSB.
The Metro, with one pilot, had inadvertently entered runway 35, says the NTSB. The US Federal Aviation Administration says the aircraft came within 145ft vertically of each other.
The NTSB says that the "Airport Movement Area Safety System alerted control tower personnel of the situation at the same time that the Frontier crew saw the [Metro III] on the runway. Weather at the time of the incident was 0.5nm [0.8km] visibility, ceiling 600ft overcast, snow and mist."
n An Antonov An-26 carrying 30 workers between Turkey and Iraq crashed near Baghdad on 9 January while attempting to land. All but one of the 35 passengers and crew on board were killed.
The An-26B-100 (ER-26068) took off from Adana Sakirpasa airport in Turkey and crashed while attempting its second landing at Balad air base in fog.
The twin-turboprop was being operated on behalf of Turkish engineering company Yuksel Construction by Moldovan operator Aeriantur-M. The aircraft is understood to have undershot in the fog, coming down 300m (980ft) from the runway while making a second approach.
Balad air base, around 70km (45 miles) north of Baghdad, is one of the main air bases in Iraq.
Source: Flight International
