Dec 12 (Reuters) - A Canadian investigation into the August 2005 crash of an Air France <AIRF.PA> jet at Toronto's Pearson International Airport has recommended clear rules and better pilot training to improve the safety of airliners landing in severe weather.

The Transportation Safety Board noted the Airbus A340 came in too high and too fast in a heavy thunderstorm. It ran out of space on a slippery runway and plunged into a small ravine where it burst into flames.

All 297 passengers and 12 crew escaped. No one died.

The Canadian government has 90 days to decide what to do with the recommendations from the TSB. The board has no formal international influence, but foreign counterparts usually respond to such reports.

The TSB's seven recommendations to Canadian and other civil aviation authorities were:

1) The Department of Transport establish clear standards limiting approaches and landings in convective weather for all air transport operators at Canadian airports.

2) France's Direction Generale de l'Aviation Civile and other civil aviation authorities establish clear standards limiting approaches and landings in convective weather.

3) The Department of Transport mandate training for all pilots involved in Canadian air transport operations to better enable them to make landing decisions in deteriorating weather.

4) France's Direction Generale de l'Aviation Civile and other civil aviation authorities mandate training for air transport pilots to better enable them to make landing decisions in deteriorating weather.

5) The Department of Transport and other civil aviation authorities require crews to establish the margin of error between landing distance available and landing distance required before conducting an approach into deteriorating weather.

6) The Department of Transport require all Code 4 runways to have a 300-metre runway end safety area (RESA) or a means of stopping aircraft that provides an equivalent level of safety.

7) The Department of Transport require that passenger safety briefings include clear direction to leave all carry-on baggage behind during an evacuation. (Reporting by Jonathan Spicer; Editing by Rob Wilson)

AlertNet news is provided by