Virgin Australia Express F100 at Perth on Oct 19th 2016, continued landing despite runway incursion by vehicle
Last Update: March 24, 2017 / 14:31:02 GMT/Zulu time
Incident Facts
Date of incident
Oct 19, 2016
Classification
Incident
Airline
Virgin Australia Express
Flight number
VA-9302
Departure
Onslow, Australia
Destination
Perth, Australia
Aircraft Registration
VH-FNC
Aircraft Type
Fokker 100
ICAO Type Designator
F100
Airport ICAO Code
YPPH
Australia's TSB have opened an investigation into the occurrenece rated an incident.
On Mar 24th 2017 the ATSB released their final report concluding the probably causes of the incident were:
- The driver incorrectly assumed that the aircraft was parked on the domestic apron and in an effort to save time, entered several taxiways without the required approval and authorisation.
- The driver was confused with their location, as they were unfamiliar with that area of the airport, and continued traveling down taxiway D and crossed the holding point for runway 21 before the WSO stopped the vehicle.
The ATSB reported the vehicle, not equipped with a transponder as it was permitted to only drive on the perimeter road and the aprons, carried a driver licensed to drive on perimeter road as well as aprons and three passengers, who wanted to carry out a customs inspection of an aircraft. The aircraft to be inspected was not on the anticipated position at the international apron, but unknown to the occupants of the vehicle, was under tow across runway 21. When the occupants spotted the aircraft, it had just stopped ahead of the holding point runway 21 waiting for crossing clearance, the occuptants however assumed that the aircraft was on the domestic apron, the driver sped towards the aircraft crossing several taxiways without clearance. In the meantime the tow and aircraft received crossing clearance, the aircraft was towed across the runway.
While the vehicle drove along taxiway H3 tower cleared the arriving Fokker 100 for landing on runway 21.
A senior airport operations officer noticed the vehicle but was not able to identify the vehicle, contacted the surface movement controller, who had assumed that vehicle was associated with works between taxiways A and D.
A work safety officer heard that exchange, spotted the vehicle in his mirrors and follwed the vehicle, which turned onto taxiway D towards runway 21.
The ATSB wrote:
As the vehicle should not have been there and did not appear to be stopping, the WSO used their vehicle’s siren, horn and loudspeaker to alert the driver, and informed them that they were about to enter the runway and to stop immediately.
The vehicle passed over the holding point for runway 21 before it stopped. The vehicle stopped about two to three car lengths past the holding point (item 11). The WSO stopped about 5m before the holding point and over the loudspeaker instructed the driver to go no further and to turn around. The WSO also advised the SMC that they were talking with the driver. The vehicle had stopped about 20m before the white gable markers that denote the runway strip.
The vehicle subsequently cross back outside the hold short line, 3 seconds later the Fokker 100 passed the position of the vehicle, the crew of the Fokker did not notice the vehicle.
The ATSB analysed:
The driver observed the aircraft they were scheduled to inspect and thought they were stationary on the domestic apron. They did not realise that the aircraft was being towed and was stopped at the holding point for runway 21. The driver entered the taxiways without a clearance and without having authorisation to do so. They became confused and crossed the holding point for runway 21. The WSO used their vehicle’s siren, horn, and loudspeaker to alert the driver, and informed them that they were about to enter the runway and to stop immediately.
The driver was focused on completing a time critical activity in an area of the airport that they were not familiar with. These probably combined to affect the driver’s ability to recognise that the aircraft they were to meet was being towed and stationary on a taxiway and not parked on the apron. The driver also did not identify that they had turned off the perimeter road and traversed several taxiways before crossing a holding point and entering an active runway.
Metars:
YPPH 190400Z 27013KT 9999 SCT040 BKN300 18/06 Q1015 NOSIG
YPPH 190330Z 25014KT 220V290 9999 SCT040 BKN300 17/06 Q1015 NOSIG
YPPH 190300Z 22012KT 9999 FEW038 BKN300 17/06 Q1016 NOSIG
YPPH 190230Z 23008KT 9999 SCT035 BKN300 16/07 Q1017 NOSIG
YPPH 190200Z 22009KT 9999 SCT034 BKN300 16/06 Q1017 NOSIG
YPPH 190130Z 20009KT 9999 SCT034 BKN300 16/06 Q1017 NOSIG
YPPH 190100Z 20009KT 9999 FEW035 SCT040 BKN300 16/06 Q1017 NOSIG
YPPH 190030Z 16008KT 9999 FEW034 SCT038 BKN300 15/06 Q1017 NOSIG
YPPH 190000Z 17008KT 9999 SCT036 BKN300 14/06 Q1017 NOSIG
YPPH 182330Z 00000KT 9999 FEW036 BKN280 12/06 Q1017 NOSIG
YPPH 182300Z 17001KT 9000 FEW034 BKN280 09/07 Q1017 NOSIG
YPPH 182230Z 17003KT 9000 FEW045 BKN280 07/07 Q1017 NOSIG
YPPH 182200Z 17002KT 9999 FEW045 BKN290 06/05 Q1017 NOSIG
Incident Facts
Date of incident
Oct 19, 2016
Classification
Incident
Airline
Virgin Australia Express
Flight number
VA-9302
Departure
Onslow, Australia
Destination
Perth, Australia
Aircraft Registration
VH-FNC
Aircraft Type
Fokker 100
ICAO Type Designator
F100
Airport ICAO Code
YPPH
This article is published under license from Avherald.com. © of text by Avherald.com.
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