Safety
Recent accidents highlight value of runway threshold margin
Two accidents late last year involving Bombardier Global 5000s landing short of the runway have provoked scrutiny of safety issues associated with the land

Two accidents late last year involving Bombardier Global 5000s landing short of the runway have provoked scrutiny of safety issues associated with the landing phase, specifically the information available to pilots about clearance above the runway when following lighted approach slope guidance systems.

The first accident occurred on Nov. 11, 2007, when a three-week-old Global 5000 carrying eight passengers landed short at Fox Harb’r Resort’s 4,885- by 75-foot runway in Nova Scotia. One of the passengers was Ron Joyce, cofounder of the Tim Hortons doughnut shop chain and developer of the resort. At the time of the landing, heavy snow and strong winds were reported, and the Global 5000’s nosegear hit the lip of the runway and broke off. No one was seriously injured in the accident.