Air Arabia A320 overran on take-off after wrong-runway error

United Arab Emirates investigators have disclosed that an Air Arabia Airbus A320 lifted off beyond the end of a Sharjah runway, after the captain opted to continue a take-off despite the jet’s turning onto the wrong runway for departure. The aircraft – bound for the Omani city of Salalah, with a trainee first officer flying – had been cleared to depart from runway 30 but, from the B14 intersection, the crew turned onto the opposite-direction runway 12 and accelerated into a rolling take-off. Although the aircraft was travelling at just 63kt groundspeed, the captain – having realised the jet was heading in the wrong direction – believed there was insufficient runway distance to abort the take-off, and advanced the thrust levers to full power. Analysis by the General Civil Aviation Authority found there was 730m of runway available at the time. Tower controllers contacted the crew, after noticing the A320 was rolling along the wrong runway, but there was no response. The captain deployed additional flap and initiated rotation with aft sidestick input, although the first officer was simultaneously applying a nose-down input she had maintained since the beginning of the take-off roll. Investigators state that the aircraft overran the far end of runway 12 by 30m, entering the runway safety area, before lifting off at 132kt. One of its main landing-gear tyres struck and damaged an approach lamp. Story has more details.<br/>