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 is not used or not available.[3][4]
On 19 November 1977,
TAP Air Portugal Flight 425, a
Boeing 727-200, landed long over the runway in
Madeira Airport, plunged over a steep bank and then crashed hard onto a beach, killing 131 people on board in this accident. In response, the runway was dramatically extended and got several upgrades in the following decades.
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.[16]
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.[17]