Air Canada Flight Got As Low As 59 FT Above Ground Level Before Go-Around at SFO Taxiway

On July 7, 2017, Air Canada Flight 759 (AC 759) from Toronto to San Francisco got as low as 59 ft above ground level (AGL) before completing a successful go-around.

The Air Canada pilots lined up the Airbus A320 to land on occupied Taxiway C at San Francisco International Airport instead of on parallel Runway 28R, which they were cleared for. At the time, four airplanes were lined up on the taxiway awaiting takeoff clearance.

The flight crew of the first airplane in the queue on Taxiway C, transmitted that AC 759 was lined up with the taxiway.

The AC 759 pilots advanced the thrust levers for a go-around when their airplane was over the taxiway and about 85 ft AGL. The airplane had already begun to climb when air traffic control tower (ATC) directed the pilots to go around.

Normal staffing for the ATC tower on the midnight shift included two controllers, but on the evening of the incident, one controller was in the tower cab.