Tabletop runway

A tabletop runway is a runway that is located on the top of a plateau or hill with one or both ends adjacent to a steep precipice which drops into a deep gorge.[1][2] This type of runway creates an optical illusion of being at the same level as the plains below, which requires a very precise visual approach by the pilot when instrument landing not used or not available.[3][4]

Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport in Saba, an example of a tabletop runway.

An Air India Express landing on Kozhikode International Airport in India.

Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport in Madeira.

List of tabletop runways


Country	Location	Airport	Airport Code (IATA/ICAO)	Ref.
Brazil	Sao Paulo	Congonhas Airport	CGH/SBSP
Colombia	Pasto	Antonio Nariño Airport	PSO/SKPS	[5]
Colombia	Pereira	Matecaña International Airport	PEI/SKPE
Faroe Islands	Sørvágur	Vágar Airport	FAE/EKVG	[6]
France	Courchevel	Courchevel Airport	CVF/LFLJ
India	Himachal Pradesh	Shimla Airport	SLV/VISM	[7]
	Kerala	Calicut International Airport	CCJ/VOCL	[8]
	Kerala	Kannur International Airport	CNN/VOKN
	Karnataka	Mangalore International Airport	IXE/VOML	[9][10]
	Mizoram	Lengpui Airport	AJL/VELP	[10]
	Sikkim	Pakyong Airport	PYG/VEPY	[11]
Italy	Lampedusa	Lampedusa Airport	LMP/LICD	[12]
Nepal	Dolpa	Dolpa Airport	DOP/VNDP	[13]
	Khotang	Manmaya Rai Airport	?/VKND	[13]
	Okhaldhunga	Rumjatar Airport	RUM/VNRT	[13]
	Mugu	Talcha Airport	?/VNRR	[14]
	Solukhumbu	Tenzing–Hillary Airport	LUA/VNLK	[15]
	Kathmandu	Tribhuvan International Airport	KTM/VNKT	[16][13]
	Sankhuwasabha	Tumlingtar Airport	TMI/VNTR	[13]
Netherlands	Saba	Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport	SAB/TNCS	[15]
Philippines	Baguio	Loakan Airport	BAG/RPUB
Portugal	Santa Cruz	Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport	FNC/LPMA	[17]
Saint Helena	Longwood	Saint Helena Airport	HLE/FHSH	[6]
Spain	Playa Santiago	La Gomera Airport	GMZ/GCGM
Spain	Montferrer i Castellbò	Andorra-La Seu d'Urgell Airport	LEU/LESU
United States	California	Catalina Airport	AVX/KAVX	[6]
		Monterey Airport	MRY/KMRY
		McClellan Palomar Airport	CLD/KCRQ
		San Nicolas Island NOLF	?/KNSI
	Arizona	Sedona Airport	SDX/KSEZ	[6]
	West Virginia	Yeager Airport	CRW/KCRW	[6]
	Colorado	Telluride Airport	TEX/KTEX

Selected accidents and incidents

On 19 November 1977, TAP Air Portugal Flight 425, a Boeing 727-200, landed long on runway in Madeira Airport, plunged over a steep bank and then crashed hard onto a beach. 131 people on board were killed in this accident but the runway was dramatically extended and got several upgrades in the following decades.
The configuration of Mangalore Airport has been cited as a factor in the Air India Express Flight 812 crash on 22 May 2010. The Boeing 737 Air India Express flight involved overshot the runway threshold touchdown area, failed to stop, went out of control, and rolled down a steep hillside.
On 25 May 2011, an Embraer Phenom 100, N224MD, operated by JetSuite overran the runway during landing at the Sedona Airport. The pilots approached with an excessive airspeed, which resulted in a failure to stop the airplane before overrunning the runway. The airplane came to the rest upright on an approximately 40-degree incline at approximately 117.6 metres (386 ft) below the departure end of runway 21. The first officer and one passenger suffered serious injuries.[18]
On 27 May 2017, Summit Air Flight 409 stalled on final approach to Tenzing–Hillary Airport, subsequently crashing 122 metres (400 ft) below the threshold of runway 06. The cargo flight descended too low on approach, upon which pilots suddenly increased the angle of attack at the low speed. The aircraft stalled as a result of excessive drag and impacted the sloppy terrain 39.6 metres (130 ft) short of the runway.[19]
On 7 August 2020, an Air India Express Flight 1344 Boeing 737 (as part of Vande Bharat Mission) skidded off the tabletop runway at Calicut International Airport in Kerala with 19 fatalities including the captain and co-pilot.[20]

References

"Beauty belies tricky runway". The Telegraph. 2010-05-22. Archived from the original on 2018-02-19. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
"What is a table-top airport?". NDTV. 2010-05-23. Archived from the original on 2012-09-29. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
"Tabletop runways create an optical illusion". The Hindu. 2010-05-22. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
"Why the Tabletop runways considered risky?".
"2 Avianca A320s Involved In Separate Incidents At Colombian Airport". Simpleflying. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
"What Is A Tabletop Runway?". Simpleflying.
Service, Tribune News. "Shimla's table-top airport 'riskiest', is 300 metres short of required length". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
"Quixplained graphic: What are tabletop runways?". The Indian Express. 2020-08-11. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
"Tabletop Runways". GKToday. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
"Calicut is one of the three tabletop airports in India, runways hinder rescue operations". Moneycontrol. web|url=https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/the-dangers-posed-by-tabletop-runways-1.4961521%7Ctitle=The dangers posed by tabletop runways|website=Mathrubhumi}}
"Pakyong in Sikkim another risky airport with tabletop runway". The India Times. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
"Tabletop Runway: Definition and Risks". aviationfiles. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
"Kathmandu Airport also sits on a 'table-top', like Kozhikode". AviationNepal.com | Aviation Nepal News Network. 2020-08-13. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
Daily, Republica (Jan 16, 2017). "Talcha Airport: Precarious yet astonishing to look at". Archived from the original on 2021-12-15.
"16 Most Dangerous Airports of The World - 2020 List". www.holidify.com. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
"Factbox: What is a 'table-top runway', the site of deadly Air India plane crash?". Reuters. 2020-08-08. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
"Madeira Airport". MapnAll. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Embraer EMB-500 Phenom 100 N224MD Sedona Airport, AZ (SDX)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Let L-410UVP-E20 9N-AKY Lukla-Tenzing-Hillary Airport (LUA)". www.aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
"Air India plane overshoots Karipur's table top runway, drops into valley; 19 dead". Hindustan Times. 2020-08-07. Retrieved 2020-08-07.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[1] "Beauty belies tricky runway". The Telegraph. 2010-05-22. Archived from the original on 2018-02-19. Retrieved 2010-05-23.

[2] "What is a table-top airport?". NDTV. 2010-05-23. Archived from the original on 2012-09-29. Retrieved 2010-05-23.

[3] "Tabletop runways create an optical illusion". The Hindu. 2010-05-22. Retrieved 2010-05-23.

[4] "Why the Tabletop runways considered risky?".

[5] "2 Avianca A320s Involved In Separate Incidents At Colombian Airport". Simpleflying. Retrieved 2023-07-02.

[whatis-6] "What Is A Tabletop Runway?". Simpleflying.

[7] Service, Tribune News. "Shimla's table-top airport 'riskiest', is 300 metres short of required length". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 2020-08-11.

[8] "Quixplained graphic: What are tabletop runways?". The Indian Express. 2020-08-11. Retrieved 2020-08-28.

[9] "Tabletop Runways". GKToday. Retrieved 2020-08-07.

[auto-10] "Calicut is one of the three tabletop airports in India, runways hinder rescue operations". Moneycontrol. web|url=https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/the-dangers-posed-by-tabletop-runways-1.4961521%7Ctitle=The dangers posed by tabletop runways|website=Mathrubhumi}}

[11] "Pakyong in Sikkim another risky airport with tabletop runway". The India Times. Retrieved 2023-07-02.

[12] "Tabletop Runway: Definition and Risks". aviationfiles. Retrieved 2023-07-02.

[:1-13] "Kathmandu Airport also sits on a 'table-top', like Kozhikode". AviationNepal.com | Aviation Nepal News Network. 2020-08-13. Retrieved 2020-08-13.

[14] Daily, Republica (Jan 16, 2017). "Talcha Airport: Precarious yet astonishing to look at". Archived from the original on 2021-12-15.

[:0-15] "16 Most Dangerous Airports of The World - 2020 List". www.holidify.com. Retrieved 2020-08-07.

[16] "Factbox: What is a 'table-top runway', the site of deadly Air India plane crash?". Reuters. 2020-08-08. Retrieved 2020-08-08.

[17] "Madeira Airport". MapnAll. Retrieved 2023-07-02.

[18] Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Embraer EMB-500 Phenom 100 N224MD Sedona Airport, AZ (SDX)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2020-08-20.

[19] Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Let L-410UVP-E20 9N-AKY Lukla-Tenzing-Hillary Airport (LUA)". www.aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2020-08-08.

[20] "Air India plane overshoots Karipur's table top runway, drops into valley; 19 dead". Hindustan Times. 2020-08-07. Retrieved 2020-08-07.