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 which requires a very precise approach by the pilot.[3]

Mangalore Airport in Mangalore, India and São Paulo Airport in São Paulo, Brazil are two examples of tabletop runways.

Incident

The configuration of Mangalore Airport has been cited as a factor in the Mangalore Air crash of May 22, 2010. The Boeing 737 involved overshot the runway threshold touchdown area, failed to stop, went out of control, and rolled down a steep hillside.

References

  1. ↑ "Beauty belies tricky runway". The Telegraph (India). 2010-05-22. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
  2. ↑ "What is a table-top airport?". NDTV. 2010-05-23. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
  3. ↑ "Tabletop runways create an optical illusion". The Hindu. 2010-05-22. Retrieved 2010-05-23.


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