Horizon DH8D at Pullman Moscow on Dec 29th 2017, landed on taxiway

Last Update: October 26, 2019 / 15:07:31 GMT/Zulu time

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Photo of Horizon Air N412QX, De Havilland Dash 8 (400) — Horizon Air N412QX, De Havilland Dash 8 (400) (Photo credit: redlegsfan21 / Flickr / License: CC by-sa)

Incident Facts

Date of incident
Dec 29, 2017

Classification
Incident

Airline
Horizon Air

Flight number
QX-2184

Departure
Seattle, United States

Destination
Pullman Moscow, United States

Aircraft Registration
N412QX

Aircraft Type
De Havilland Dash 8 (400)

ICAO Type Designator
DH8D

Airport
Pullman Moscow Regional Airport, Pullman/Moscow,Id

Airport ICAO Code
KPUW

A Horizon de Havilland Dash 8-400 on behalf of Alaska Airlines, registration N412QX performing flight QX-2184/AS-2184 from Seattle,WA to Pullman Moscow,WA (USA) with 38 passengers and 4 crew, was on final approach to the uncontrolled aerodrome of Pullman and Moscow in night conditions intending to land on runway 06, when the crew aligned the aircraft with the parallel taxiway to the left of the runway and landed on the taxiway, that was unoccupied at that time. The aircraft rolled out without further incident.

At the time of the landing an electrical fault as result of heavy rain and melting snow causing a flash flood had taken the (white) runway lights out of service, only the (blue) taxiway lights were operative.

Alaska Airlines reported the aircraft was about 3nm before touchdown when the crew attempted to illuminate the remote controlled runway lights. The airport was not yet aware of the malfunction, the crew was thus not alerted to the failure of the runway lights. The experienced crew identified the lights of the taxiway as runway lights and landed. No other aircraft or vehicles were on the taxiway at that time. The crew had been taken out of service while the investigation is ongoing. The black boxes were secured.

The FAA reported they have opened an investigation into the occurrence.

The NTSB reported they have been informed about the occurrence, and while investigating a number of other similiar occurrences they are going to look into this occurrence, too, but would not open a separate investigation.

On Aug 25th 2018 the NTSB released a brief preliminary report stating that an investigation has been opened although investigators did not travel to the occurrence site.

On Oct 22nd 2019 the NTSB reported that no NOTAM had been issued for the lack of runway lighting. The captain (49, ATPL, 13,528 hours total, 5,997 hours on type), pilot flying, used the head up guidance system while performing the RNAV/RNP M approach to runway 06 in night meteorological conditions. The captain attempted several times to illuminate the runway lights via the common traffic adivsory frequency (CTAF) prior to the initial approach fix and prior to exiting clouds. Shortly after crossing the initial approach fix the aircraft exited the clouds and the crew believed to clearly see the runway in front of them, though it was unclear whether they were bright or dim.

The NTSB wrote:

The captain stated he attempted to turn the lights up brighter via the CTAF several times, and it was unclear if they had changed. The captain stated he clearly felt he had the runway in sight and the runway lights were on, and it was just a question of the lights not going up to bright, not to an "on" setting.

The captain stated he checked that the gear was down, and as he looked back out to see the runway and saw nothing but black out in front of the airplane, and he saw identifiable pavement that was lit up. He stated he slid the airplane over a little to line up with the illuminated pavement, but there was no abrupt maneuver. The captain stated he lined up with the pavement and did not notice the taxiway lights and stated that what he saw and aligned with looked like runway pavement.

As the airplane was approaching the ground and while in the flare, the FO stated that he was looking for visual cues and noticed the blue taxi lights. Right before touchdown the FO stated he saw that they were on the taxiway. The airplane subsequently landed uneventfully to the left of runway 06 and on the parallel taxiway at PUW at 1840.

The captain stated that there was nothing in front of the airplane on the taxiway that was of any danger and that he did not see taxiway lights, but saw the pavement and concentrated on stopping the airplane As they slowed down, they taxied on the full length of the taxiway, back-taxied on the runway, then continued to the gate. According to both pilots, they attempted to change the illumination of the taxiway and runway lights via the CTAF during their 6-minute taxi to parking and observed the blue taxiway lights change illumination, but the runway lights did not illuminate.

The NTSB wrote with respect to the runway lighting:

Unlighted Fields

Flights are not authorized to land or takeoff at night when all runway lights are inoperative or where there are no lights installed.

If a portion of the runway lights are inoperative for night operations but the remaining lights or runway marking provide adequate visual reference to continuously identify the runway surface and maintain directional control throughout the takeoff or landing run, operations on that runway may proceed.

NOTE: Use of flare pots or lanterns in lieu of runway lights is not authorized.

The Horizon Air OpSpecs C060-3(g) stated the following in part:

g. Missed Approach Requirements. A missed approach shall be initiated when any of the following conditions exist:

(1) If the pilot determines that touchdown cannot be safely accomplished with the TDZ.

(2) When any of the required runway lighting elements becomes inoperative prior to arriving at the DH [decision height] or AH [alert height], or prior to touchdown for aircraft without a rollout system.

As previously stated, there were no NOTAMs indicating the runway lights were inoperative at the time the incident flight landed. After the incident, the following NOTAMs were issued at PUW:

PUW 12/220 PUW RWY 06/24 REDL OUT OF SERVICE 1712300323-1712310321 CREATED: 30 Dec 2017 03:23:00 SOURCE: PUW

PUW 12/227 PUW RWY 06 RWY END ID LGT OUT OF SERVICE 1712300518-1801010518 CREATED: 30 Dec 2017 05:19:00 SOURCE: PUW

On Oct 26th 2019 the NTSB released their final report concluding the probable cause of the incident was:

he flight crew's misidentification of the taxiway as the landing runway due to the failure of the runway lighting that caused only the taxiway lights to be illuminated.

Metars:
KPUW 300353Z AUTO 14011KT 6SM -RA BR FEW029 OVC037 03/02 A2983 RMK AO2 SLP120 P0007 T00330022=
KPUW 300346Z AUTO 14012KT 6SM -RA BR BKN029 OVC035 04/02 A2984 RMK AO2 P0007 T00390022=
KPUW 300253Z AUTO 15010KT 5SM -RA BR FEW024 BKN030 OVC035 04/02 A2986 RMK AO2 SLP128 P0008 60027 T00440022 58019=
KPUW 300217Z AUTO 14009KT 5SM RA BR FEW018 BKN025 OVC032 03/02 A2988 RMK AO2 P0004 T00330017=
KPUW 300153Z AUTO 14007KT 6SM -RA BR FEW025 OVC032 03/02 A2990 RMK AO2 SLP141 P0008 T00330017=
KPUW 300128Z AUTO 13009KT 6SM -RA BR FEW007 SCT026 OVC033 03/02 A2990 RMK AO2 P0005 T00280017=
KPUW 300117Z AUTO 14009KT 6SM RA BR SCT006 BKN027 OVC033 03/02 A2991 RMK AO2 P0004 T00330022=
KPUW 300053Z AUTO 06003KT 5SM RA BR BKN007 OVC018 04/02 A2992 RMK AO2 SLP148 P0011 T00390022=
KPUW 300031Z AUTO VRB03KT 4SM -RA BR BKN007 OVC030 03/02 A2992 RMK AO2 P0007 T00280017=
KPUW 300011Z AUTO 06003KT 4SM RA BR FEW008 OVC032 03/02 A2993 RMK AO2 P0003 T00330022=
KPUW 292353Z AUTO 06004KT 4SM -RA BR OVC033 03/02 A2992 RMK AO2 SLP152 P0008 60046 T00330017 10033 20017 58004=
KPUW 292301Z AUTO 13005KT 4SM RA BR FEW009 SCT028 OVC035 03/02 A2994 RMK AO2 P0001 T00330022=