Ata MD83 at Tehran on May 8th 2017, runway incursion forces departing F100 to climb over the MD83

Last Update: November 23, 2017 / 22:04:37 GMT/Zulu time

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Incident Facts

Date of incident
May 8, 2017

Classification
Incident

Flight number
I3-5206

Destination
Tabriz, Iran

Aircraft Registration
UR-CQC

ICAO Type Designator
MD83

An Ata Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-83, registration UR-CQC performing flight I3-5206 from Tehran Mehrabad to Tabriz (Iran), was preparing for departure from Tehran and had been cleared to be pushed back, start the engines and enter taxiway A6. 5 minutes later the aircraft requested to taxi was cleared to taxi to the holding point runway 29R via taxiways A6 and A. The aircraft however taxied towards runway 29R, turned left onto the runway and backtracked runway 29R towards the east.

An Iran Aseman Airlines Fokker 100, registration EP-ATF performing flight EP-3700 from Tehran Mehrabad to Sabzevar (Iran), had been holding short of runway 29R awaiting departure and was cleared for takeoff from runway 29R. The aircraft accelerated and had already accelerated beyond V1, when the crew spotted the MD-83 on the runway. In order to avoid a collision and because the achieved speed already permitted the rotation, the crew rotated the aircraft and climbed over the MD-83. Once airborne and clear of the conflict the crew informed ATC. ATC at that point recognized the situation, the MD-83 was called back to the apron.

After coordination with airport officials the MD-83 was permitted to depart and complete their rotation to Tabriz.

Iran's CAO rated the occurrence a serious incident estimating the risk of collision as severity B, opened an investigation and released a preliminary report in Persion stating the aircraft was parked at the Saha Ramp, was cleared to be pushed back, start up and enter taxiway A6. The aircraft flown by a foreign crew subsequently, when requesting to taxi, was cleared to taxi to the holding point runway 29R via taxiway A6 and A, but followed A6 onto runway 29R, turned east onto the runway and "backtracked" the runway without any further communication.

The CAO issued immediate recommendations to assess the use of runway 29R, which had recently been returned to service, with respect to concerns raised by the CAO, require returning flight crew and ground controllers to undergo Language Proficiency examinations, require airlines to perform proper assessments before hiring foreign pilots, review and update Mehrabad Aerodrome charts and NOTAMs, Mehrabad Airport and Ata Airlines perform risk assments within the safety management systems and propose corrective action.

Editorial notes: According to aerodrome charts of 2016 taxiway A6 was where at the current aerodrome chart (see below) is now A7. There is no taxiway letter written for the taxiway connecting apron 5 to taxiway A, it appears thus possible that this taxiway was also A6 rather than on the current chart taxiway Y. The editor does not know when this change took place, presumably however after May 8th 2017. Nonetheless, the push back clearance as well as the taxi route pose more questions than they answer und are currently not understood by this editor.

On Nov 23rd 2017 Iran's CAO told The Aviation Herald that at the time of the occurrence taxiway A6 indeed connected Apron 5 to taxiway A and further to runway 29R. There was a conflict with the Jeppesen Chart of that time used by the pilots that depicted taxiway A6 only connecting taxiway A with runway 29R while not naming the taxiway connecting Apron 5 to taxiway A. In addition, the controller had yet another chart, both charts were: "so different from Iranian AIP". The CAO therefore wrote:

- The controller had a clearance to taxi via TWY A6, A and Hold short RWY 29 R but based on Jeppesen Chart, the aircraft should cross TWY A, then reach to TWY A6. So he just came to end of RWY29R.

- Due to high traffic of the airport , there was a quick decision to open the RWY29R after reconstruction before completing RWY signing and marking. So the pilot who did not concentrate on ADC chart could not realize entrance to the RWY.

Jeppesen Chart=
Incident Facts

Date of incident
May 8, 2017

Classification
Incident

Flight number
I3-5206

Destination
Tabriz, Iran

Aircraft Registration
UR-CQC

ICAO Type Designator
MD83

This article is published under license from Avherald.com. © of text by Avherald.com.
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