The Australian Transportation Board (ATSB) detailed that two separate runway excursions have led to Melbourne Airport (MEL) stopping runway overlay works.
According to the ATSB, it will investigate two incidents where a Malaysian Airlines Airbus A330, registered as 9M-MTL, and a Bamboo Airways Boeing 787-9, registered as VN-A819, rotated past the temporary displaced threshold. On both occasions the jet blast affected people and objects working on the runway.
While no injuries were reported, the ATSB noted that the jet blast of the Bamboo Airways 787-9 damaged several unserviceability lights.
The incident involving Malaysian Airlines took place on September 7, 2023, while the Bamboo Airways 787-9 rotated too late on September 18, 2023.
According to flightradar24.com data, the Airbus A330 continued to its destination Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL), Malaysia, without further incident. The Bamboo Airways jet, which was traveling to Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport (HAN), Vietnam, also continued to its destination.
“In response, Melbourne Airport stopped any works that require a displaced threshold on runway 16/34 pending further investigation,” the ATSB said in its docket.
Subsequently, the investigators will collect evidence, which will include the retrieval of all available recorders, interviews with all involved parties, as well as the collection of other relevant information.
The ATSB will release a final report once it concludes the investigation, which is estimated to happen in Q1 2024.
“Should a critical safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties, so that appropriate safety action can be taken,” it concluded.
In late 2022, the ATSB said that it is also investigating a runway excursion at Sydney Airport (SYD), involving a Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800 and a Singapore Airlines Airbus A380. The incident took place in November 2022, when the taxiing 737-800, registered as VH-IWQ, was about to cross the runway from which the A380, registered as 9V-SKQ, was taking off.
Incidentally, the Australian investigators are also looking at another incident involving the same 737-800, which occurred in June 2023. In its initial summary of the incident, the ATSB said “the flight crew inadvertently lined the aircraft up with the runway edge lights instead of the centreline”.
