Pilots didn’t realise runway was short until they saw traffic cones

A Virgin Australia flight took off from a partially closed runway at Brisbane airport because the distracted crew didn’t notice the warnings.

An investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau found the flight crew only realised there might be a problem when they saw traffic cones in front of the plane. By then, the Boeing 737-800 was travelling about 100 knots (185 km/h) – towards a section of runway partially closed for repairs.

A Virgin Boeing narrowly missed safety cones on the runway in Brisbane.Credit: Beau Chenery

“While they considered the cones an immediate threat, they estimated that the aircraft would become airborne before the cones and, as the aircraft’s airspeed had exceeded 80 knots, they continued the take-off,” the ATSB report, released on Tuesday, stated.

The incident, on November 30, 2022, did not go unnoticed in the control tower. One air traffic controller had questioned the timing of the take-off and, on noticing the aircraft pass over the cones, sent ground crew to inspect, who found three cones had been blown over.

An excerpt from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau report showing the partially closed runway at Brisbane airport.Credit: ATSB

The flight continued to Melbourne without incident but the plane had to be inspected on arrival and cleared of any damage.

The ATSB found the crew should have known the aircraft was too heavy to become airborne in the distance available on the runway. The first officer was being supervised by the captain at the time, as part of their training, and the flight was behind schedule. The crew told ATSB investigators they didn’t see any visible works or restrictions when they arrived from Melbourne using the same runway (the plane stopped before the closed section).

“This, combined with time pressures and distractions from prioritising training needs, contributed to the flight crew then inputting the incorrect runway data during pre-flight calculations prior to the departure from Brisbane,” the report concluded.

The crew also misinterpreted dispatcher notes, and seemingly missed a broadcast alerting them to the runway issues. A sign on the ground misrepresented the length of the runway, however, the crew told the ATSB they didn’t see it when they passed by.

In response, Virgin Australia made changes to its safety management procedures, while Brisbane Airport Corporation improved the information available to flight crews during runway works.

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