Lufthansa A321 at Frankfurt on Aug 31st 2016, rejected takeoff due to go around on parallel runway

Last Update: September 13, 2016 / 08:23:18 GMT/Zulu time

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Photo of Lufthansa D-AISF, Airbus A321 — Lufthansa D-AISF, Airbus A321 (Photo credit: Anna Zvereva / Flickr / License: CC by-sa)

Incident Facts

Date of incident
Aug 31, 2016

Classification
Incident

Cause
Rejected takeoff

Airline
Lufthansa

Flight number
LH-356

Departure
Frankfurt/Main, Germany

Destination
Bremen, Germany

Aircraft Registration
D-AISF

Aircraft Type
Airbus A321

ICAO Type Designator
A321

A Lufthansa Airbus A321-200, registration D-AISF performing flight LH-356 from Frankfurt/Main to Bremen (Germany), was accelerating for takeoff from Frankfurt's runway 07C when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed, slowed the aircraft safely coming to a stop about 1600 meters/5250 feet before the runway end about abeam taxiway L9.

The aircraft, that had taxied out for first departure with a delay of about one hour, was able to depart about 25 minutes later and reached Bremen with a total delay of 90 minutes.

A passenger reported the captain announced that a taxiing aircraft had started to cross their runway in front of them, and annotated: "Da sind sich zwei Fluglotsen nicht einig gewesen!" (two air traffic controllers were in disagreement)

Prior to contacting Germany's BFU and Germany's DFS The Aviation Herald therefore analysed radar data and found, that a Lufthansa Airbus A320-200 registration D-AINC performing flight LH-23 from Hamburg to Frankfurt, had landed on runway 07R, joined the taxiway between runways 07C and 07R to the end then turned towards the apron on taxiway S East (crossing the extended center line of runway 07C past the end of paved surface, however, still with hold short lines and related signalling), appeared to cross the hold short line south of the extended runway center line just prior to D-AISF rejecting takeoff and appearing north of the extended center line of the runway near the northern hold short line just when D-AISF came to a stop.

The BFU told The Aviation Herald however, that according to their information the takeoff was not rejected because of a conflict on taxiway S-East, but because an aircraft on approach to the parallel runway 07R initiated a late go around. The occurrence therefore was neither rated accident nor serious incident and is therefore not being investigated by the BFU.

Following the response by the BFU The Aviation Herald went over the radar data again and found, that following D-AINC a Turkish Airlines Airbus A330-200 registration TC-JNC was on final approach to Frankfurt's runway 07R but went around from below 100 feet AGL, that timing coincides with the rejected takeoff of D-AISF, too. TC-JNC positioned for another approach to runway 07R and landed safely about 18 minutes after the go-around.

Germany's DFS (Deutsche Flugsicherung, Air Traffic Control Provider Germany) told The Aviation Herald in the afternoon of Sep 12th 2016 after release of initial coverage, that the tower controller instructed LH-356 to reject takeoff after TK-1593 went around reasoning that the effects of the go around like wake turbulence and separation were unclear. LH-23 did not play any role in that consideration, the position of the aircraft was not known to the spokeswoman of DFS. The DFS is going to look into the path of LH-23 now and is going to report back.

On Sep 13th 2016 DFS followed up reporting, that they have checked the path of LH-23 on their own (ground) radar systems, the aircraft stopped at the southern hold short line and crossed the hold short line on the eastern taxiway only after LH-356 had already rejected takeoff.

Metars:
EDDF 311750Z 21003KT CAVOK 24/11 Q1019 NOSIG
EDDF 311720Z 21004KT CAVOK 27/11 Q1019 NOSIG
EDDF 311650Z 19004KT 140V220 CAVOK 27/11 Q1019 NOSIG
EDDF 311620Z VRB03KT CAVOK 28/10 Q1019 NOSIG
EDDF 311550Z VRB04KT CAVOK 28/09 Q1019 NOSIG
EDDF 311520Z VRB03KT CAVOK 29/10 Q1019 NOSIG
EDDF 311450Z VRB04KT CAVOK 28/09 Q1019 NOSIG
EDDF 311420Z VRB04KT CAVOK 28/09 Q1019 NOSIG
EDDF 311350Z VRB04KT CAVOK 28/11 Q1019 NOSIG
EDDF 311320Z VRB04KT CAVOK 28/10 Q1020 NOSIG
EDDF 311250Z 12006KT 030V190 CAVOK 27/10 Q1020 NOSIG