Plane at Calgary Aborts Takeoff to Avoid Man on Runway

CALGARY (CP) - An Air Canada flight had to abort takeoff early Sunday when pilots realized a man was walking down the middle of their runway.

The plane had just started its takeoff roll about 7:30 a.m. when the flight crew spotted an object in the distance, Calgary Airport Authority spokesman Bryce Paton said.

At first it could not be determined if it was a person or an animal, but it ''turned out to be a 31-year-old male who had jumped the fence and was standing in the middle of the runway,'' Paton said.

Paton said the pilot quickly contacted air traffic control officials and the plane, which wasn't up to full speed, was safely stopped.

There is 24-hour patrol of the perimeter for both people and wildlife, Paton said, but bad weather reduced visibility at the time of the breach and the man was not spotted as he scaled the fence.

''We are very thankful due to the quick reactions of the pilots and (airport staff) no harm came to this person,'' he said.

''However, it will be interesting to hear the results of the Calgary police investigation as to why he chose to climb the fence.''

Paton said there was a quick response with officials apprehending the man within 90 seconds of being spotted.

''If an individual chooses to climb over a fence, we have people in place to react like they did,'' he said.

Security at the airport has been under scrutiny recently after it was revealed CEO Garth Atkinson wrote an internal memo, obtained by the CBC, calling security screening levels at the facility the shoddiest in the country, mostly due to a lack of staff.

This was after an incident last December that saw luggage loaded on a plane without its owners.

Paton said in the latest incident he was told the man was claiming ''he was trying to catch a flight,'' but apparently had no ticket and no luggage with him.

He was handed over to city police and was reportedly going to be sent for a psychiatric assessment.

Paton said there appeared to be no hostile intent on the man's part.

''I don't want to delve in to the mental state of mind, but it's certainly not normal behaviour.''

David Matthew Marisi, 31, has been charged under the Canadian Aviation Security Regulations of the Aeronautics Act with trespassing on an aerodrome.

(Calgary Sun)

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