Jan 10, 2007 7:29 am US/Mountain
Pilot In DIA Close Call Says Snow Blocked Markings
DENVER (AP) ―
The pilot of a plane than inadvertently wandered into the path of a Frontier Airlines jet that was attempting to land at Denver International Airport last week said snow had "completely obscured" all the runway and taxiway markings.
"We're not trying to dodge blame," Todd Schleibaum, lead pilot at Key Lime Air said Tuesday. "We take responsibility for it."
Pilots of a Frontier Airlines Airbus A319 aborted its landing Friday morning but came within 50 feet of the smaller Swearingen Metroliner that had entered the runway, federal aviation officials said.
Airport officials declined comment, citing an ongoing investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration.
"He (the pilot) found the visibility very limited," Schleibaum said. "He followed green centerline taxiway lighting," and missed the turn to his runway.
"He got confused," Schleibaum said, adding that there were extenuating circumstances.
Schleibaum cited the pilot's report that said: "all the runway and taxiway markings were completely obscured by snow."
Taxiways have green centerline lights and blue edge lights. Runways have white lights and other safety markings and signs to keep planes from entering inadvertently.
It was snowing and misty at the time, with half-mile visibility, but NTSB officials have said there was no way to tell whether those conditions contributed to the incident.
Frontier is based in Denver. Key Lime is based at Centennial Airport in the southeast Denver area.
Neither the airlines nor the investigators would say how many passengers were on the two planes, which together could carry about 150 people.
(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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