Emirates B773 at Cairo on Jan 12th 2019, rejected takeoff due to vehicle on runway

Last Update: January 14, 2019 / 22:46:54 GMT/Zulu time

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Photo of Emirates Airlines A6-EBR, Boeing 777-300 — Emirates Airlines A6-EBR, Boeing 777-300 (Photo credit: FlugZüge / Flickr / License: CC by-sa)

Incident Facts

Date of incident
Jan 12, 2019

Classification
Incident

Cause
Rejected takeoff

Airline
Emirates Airlines

Flight number
EK-928

Departure
Cairo, Egypt

Destination
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Aircraft Registration
A6-EBR

Aircraft Type
Boeing 777-300

ICAO Type Designator
B773

An Emirates Boeing 777-300, registration A6-EBR performing flight EK-928 from Cairo (Egypt) to Dubai (United Arab Emirates) with 364 people on board, was accelerating for takeoff from Cairo's runway 05L when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed (about 130 knots over ground) after spotting a vehicle on the runway. The aircraft slowed safely and stopped on the runway about 1650 meters down the runway and about 100 meters short of the vehicle, the crew commented they almost hit the car, a number of tyres deflated as result.

Following the occurrence tower dispatched a follow me vehicle to check out the vehicle on the runway and how it got onto the runway. The vehicle was identified as the vehicle of an electrical maintenance engineer, operating without VHF radio and transponder being on the runway without required guidance by a follow me vehicle. Tower told the crew the vehicle made a runway incursion without a driver in it. In the meantime the crew requested emergency services to attend to the aircraft reporting they had hot brakes and were unable to taxi due to the hot brakes, subsequently reporting they were unable to taxi all the way to the terminal due to deflated tyres, they were able to vacate the runway and stop at a remote stand.

The aircraft was able to taxi off the runway to a remote stand with emergency services in trail about 20 minutes after the rejected takeoff. The passengers disembarked at the remote stand and were bussed to the terminal.

A passenger reported the aircraft was already at high speed when the brakes came on very hard. After the aircraft stopped the captain announced a number of tyres had deflated as result of the rejected takeoff, a vehicle had apparently attempted to cross the runway. Later he announced the aircraft was unable to perform the flight, a replacement aircraft was flown in to perform the flight. The captain added that the vehicle had not been crossing the runway, it had been left on the runway unattended.

Egypt's Authorities opened an investigation into the occurrence.

The airline reported the aircraft needed to reject takeoff at high speed due to a vehicle on the runway, a number of tyres were damaged as result. The passengers disembarked, a replacement aircraft was dispatched and departed Cairo with a delay of more than 8 hours. Authorities are investigating.

A replacement Boeing 777-300 registration A6-ENX positioned to Cairo as flight EK-2619, resumed flight EK-928 and reached Dubai with a delay of 8.5 hours.