Air Canada pilots reportedly didn’t use normal navigation aids in close call at San Francisco

Pilots of an Air Canada jet failed to use a ground-based guidance system when they nearly landed by mistake on a taxiway at San Francisco International 2 weeks ago, potentially coming within dozens of feet of airliners on the ground, according to people familiar with the investigation. As more details emerge about the incident, these people said, investigators have tentatively determined the crew didn’t utilise the available instrument landing system US carriers typically require pilots to rely on for precision approaches in similar circumstances. The issue hasn’t been reported before, and it isn’t known why the crew failed to call up the instrument system for backup during the visual landing prior to breaking off the approach. <br/>