Ural A320 at Ulan-Ude on Aug 25th 2018, landed on closed runway

Last Update: August 28, 2018 / 17:06:57 GMT/Zulu time

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Photo of Ural Airlines VQ-BGJ, Airbus A320 — Ural Airlines VQ-BGJ, Airbus A320 (Photo credit: Geo Max / Flickr / License: CC by-sa)

Incident Facts

Date of incident
Aug 25, 2018

Classification
Incident

Airline
Ural Airlines

Flight number
U6-105

Departure
Moscow Domodedovo, Russia

Destination
Irkutsk, Russia

Aircraft Registration
VQ-BGJ

Aircraft Type
Airbus A320

ICAO Type Designator
A320

An Ural Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration VQ-BGJ performing flight U6-105 (dep Aug 24th) from Moscow Domodedovo to Irkutsk (Russia) with 164 passengers and 6 crew, was on approach to Irkutsk when the crew stopped the descent at FL080 due to present weather conditions, the aircraft entered a hold. After about 35 minutes in the hold the crew decided to divert to Ulan-Ude's Mukhino Airport but landed on a newly built, still closed runway to the north of runway 08/26 at about 08:30L (00:30Z).

At the time of the landing the runway lighting of the new runway was being tested.

The aircraft was grounded pending the investigation. A replacement A320-200 registration VQ-BAG delivered the passengers to Irkutsk with a delay of 21 hours.

According to current AIP release on AIP Russia (as listed by ICAO) the aerodrome chart is dated Feburary 2017 and shows the now disused grass runway (which is to become the new paved runway) and runway 08/26, but does not contain any hint on a newly built runway. No amendment or supplement for the aerodrome can be found, however, NOTAMs are available.

According to information The Aviation Herald received on Aug 28th 2018 Ulan-Ude was a planned alternate airport for the flight, the crew was in possession of the NOTAMs related to the aerodrome, however, the NOTAMs did not mention the runway lighting test. In addition, tower cleared the aircraft to land on runway 26L (which does not exist in the currently available AIP Russia documentation at all or any related plates like Jeppesen). There was no information about the new runway or the runway lighting test on ATIS nor was such information provided by tower.

On Aug 28th 2018 Rosaviatsia reported that at the time of landing the runway 26 lights were switched off, only the runway lights for the new runway (to become 26R but still closed) were switched on. A related NOTAM had been published.

Related NOTAMs:
A3119/18 - NEW RWY IS BEING CONSTRUCTED NORTH AND PARALLEL TO OPR RWY 08/26, MEN AND MACHINERY OPR. 04 JUN 06:30 2018 UNTIL 31 AUG 09:00 2018 ESTIMATED. CREATED: 04 JUN 06:34 2018

A2656/18 - RWY 26: ILS DME U/S. 21 MAY 02:00 2018 UNTIL 31 DEC 23:59 2018. CREATED: 15 MAY 05:38 2018

A2655/18 - RWY 26: ILS LOC GP U/S. 21 MAY 02:00 2018 UNTIL 31 DEC 23:59 2018. CREATED: 15 MAY 05:37 2018

A4459/16 - GRASS RWY 08/26 WITHDRAWN FROM SERVICE. REF AIP BOOK 1 PAGE AD 2.1 UIUU-31,39. 22 SEP 08:00 2016 UNTIL PERM. CREATED: 22 SEP 06:02 2016

A4740/18 NOTAMN
Q) UIII/QFAXX/IV/NBO/A/000/999/5149N10727E005
A) UIUU B) 1808230100 C) 1808250100
E) LIGHTS OF RWY UNDER CONSTRUCTION (NORTH OF OPERATING RWY) ARE PERMANENTLY ON IN TEST MODE. PILOTS TAKE ADDITIONAL CAUTION DRG APPROACH. DO NOT MISTAKE FOR LIGHTS OF RWY IN USE.

METARs:
UIUU 250200Z VRB01MPS 9999 OVC030CB 17/11 Q1014 R26/CLRD60 NOSIG RMK QFE716/0954=
UIUU 250130Z VRB01MPS 9999 OVC029CB 16/11 Q1014 R26/CLRD60 NOSIG RMK QFE716/0954=
UIUU 250100Z 00000MPS 9999 OVC027CB 16/11 Q1014 R26/CLRD60 NOSIG RMK QFE716/0954=
UIUU 250030Z 00000MPS 9999 OVC027CB 16/11 Q1014 R26/CLRD60 NOSIG RMK QFE716/0954=
UIUU 250000Z VRB01MPS 9999 OVC027CB 16/12 Q1013 R26/CLRD60 NOSIG RMK QFE716/0954=
UIUU 242330Z VRB01MPS 9999 OVC028CB 16/11 Q1013 R26/CLRD60 NOSIG RMK QFE716/0954=
UIUU 242300Z VRB01MPS 9999 OVC027CB 16/12 Q1013 R26/CLRD60 NOSIG RMK QFE715/0954=
UIUU 242230Z 30002MPS 9999 OVC027CB 16/11 Q1013 R26/CLRD60 NOSIG RMK QFE715/0954=
UIUU 242200Z 18001MPS 9999 OVC028CB 15/11 Q1013 R26/290350 NOSIG RMK QFE715/0954=
UIUU 242130Z 00000MPS 9999 OVC028CB 15/12 Q1013 R26/290350 NOSIG RMK QFE715/0954=
UIUU 242100Z VRB01MPS 9999 OVC030CB 16/11 Q1012 R26/290350 NOSIG RMK QFE715/0953=