Incident Overview
On 26 July 1985, at approximately 21:15 GMT, a Beech E-90 aircraft, registration CS-TFA, operated by TAP Air Portugal, was involved in an incident during taxi at Faro Airport (LPFR). The aircraft had been prepared for flight TP9615 from Faro to Lisbon (LPPT). During taxi toward runway 29, the pilot mistook the centerline lights for the edge lights, resulting in a collision with one of the edge lights. The left propeller blades sustained damage to their tips, and the flight was aborted for repairs. The incident occurred at night under good meteorological conditions. There were no personal injuries.
Aircraft and Crew Information
The aircraft, a Beech E-90 (serial number LW-102), was manufactured in 1974 and was certificated, equipped, and maintained in accordance with manufacturer manuals and DGAC regulations. It was powered by two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-28 engines and equipped with Hartzell HC-B3TN-3B propellers. The pilot, Belarmino Manuel da C. Gonçalves, held a valid license (No. 438/PLA/1) and was certified for the flight.
Airport Information
Faro Airport has a single runway with directions 11-29. The runway lighting system included threshold lights, end-of-runway lights, centerline lights, and edge lights. The taxiway also had edge lights. All lights were intensity-adjustable and considered acceptable for operational purposes.
Damage
The left propeller sustained damage to the tips of all three blades, with one blade more extensively damaged. The damaged edge light required repair. No other damage occurred.
Analysis and Probable Cause
The investigation found that the incident was not due to poor orientation of taxiway lights or entry into the runway area. The pilot reported low brightness of the taxi light and used the landing light to improve taxi conditions. Fatigue, a 4-hour unexpected stay at the airport, possible inadequate rest, and simultaneous attendance of a pilot course with 7 hours of daily classes were factors leading to reduced attention and confusion between edge lights and centerline lights.
The probable cause was stated as: "reduced attention due to fatigue and inadequate prior preparation for the flight."
Recommendations
The report recommended greater attention in the selection of crew assigned to flights of this nature.