LOT DH8D at Warsaw on Feb 1st 2015, took off over vehicle on stopway

Last Update: July 28, 2015 / 14:46:59 GMT/Zulu time

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Incident Facts

Date of incident
Feb 1, 2015

Classification
Report

Airline
LOT Polish Airlines

Flight number
K2-515

Departure
Warsaw, Poland

Destination
Chisinau, Moldova

Aircraft Registration
SP-EQH

Aircraft Type
De Havilland Dash 8 (400)

ICAO Type Designator
DH8D

A LOT Polish Airlines de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration SP-EQH performing flight K2-515/LO-5889 from Warsaw (Poland) to Chisinau (Moldova), departed Warsaw's runway 29. Only after the aircraft had become airborne tower noticed a vehicle, thought to be working on the stopway (runway end safety area) of runway 33, on the stopway (runway end safety area) of runway 29. The Dash 8 climbed over the vehicle and continued for a safe landing in Chisinau.

Poland's Aircraft Accident Investigation Commission (PKBWL) released their final report in Polish concluding the probable cause of the serious incident was:

An error by the vehicle driver as result of which he drove to the wrong stopway attached to a different runway that was in use for takeoffs.

The PKBWL reported that the maintenance vehicle number 118 requested to drive to the stopway of runway 33 for maintenance work and after being cleared to do so reported having arrived at the stopway runway 33. Runway 15/33 was closed due to the maintenance work.

About a minute later SP-EQH received clearance to take off from runway 29. While the aircraft accelerated tower noticed the maintenance vehicle was not on the stopway runway 33 but on the stopway runway 29 and queried the vehicle driver, who repeated he was on the stopway runway 33, tower then clarified the vehcile was on runway 11/29 and instructed the driver to leave the stopway immediately. The Dash 8 climbed out without further incident.

The PKBWL analysed that tower was not aware of maintenance vehicle 118 driving to the stopway runway 29 opposite to the driver requesting and reporting to be on the stopway of runway 33. The radar images showed, that following the request to enter stopway runway 33 the vehicle moved towards stopway 29 and was present on the stopway 29 while the Dash 8 was taking off on runway 29. The stopway belongs to the runway surface providing additional safety margins in case of aircraft overruns. Maintenance vehicle 118 therefore committed a runway incursion, tower subsequently prohibited the driver to commence any further action in critical airside areas.

Editorial note: The report does not mention/deal with a visual runway scan by tower or a scan of the radar image by tower prior to providing takeoff clearance.

The PKBWL had already issued a safety recommendation to install a runway surface movement monitoring system at Waraw previously and thus did not release any new safety recommendation.

Editorial note: the PKBWL consistently used stopway runway 11 throughout the report, the radar images made it clear however, it was the stopway runway 29. The FAA defines a stopway as follows: "Stopway means an area beyond the takeoff runway, no less wide than the runway and centered upon the extended centerline of the runway, able to support the airplane during an aborted takeoff, without causing structural damage to the airplane, and designated by the airport authorities for use in decelerating the airplane during an aborted takeoff."
Incident Facts

Date of incident
Feb 1, 2015

Classification
Report

Airline
LOT Polish Airlines

Flight number
K2-515

Departure
Warsaw, Poland

Destination
Chisinau, Moldova

Aircraft Registration
SP-EQH

Aircraft Type
De Havilland Dash 8 (400)

ICAO Type Designator
DH8D

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