What happened
On 28 May 2009, a Cessna 172S, registration EI-NFW, was conducting a private flight from Carnmore Airport to Ireland West Airport, Knock. During the approach to runway 27, the pilot was aware of an Airbus 320, EI-DVF, which was lined up and holding on the same runway.
To facilitate the arrival, the air traffic controller instructed the pilot of the Cessuna 172S to land "long" at the 09 end of the runway. This instruction resulted in the smaller aircraft flying directly over the stationary Airbus before touching down deep on the runway. While the pilot of the Cessna 172S noted the unusual nature of the approach, they followed the controller's specific instructions to ensure clearance from the larger aircraft. The incident involved no injuries and no damage to either aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation established that the controller's clearance and terminology deviated from standard procedures. The controller had instructed the arriving aircraft to land far down the runway to avoid the aircraft holding at the threshold. While the pilot of the Cessna 172S recognized the situation was irregular, they complied with the instruction. Meanwhile, the crew of the EI-DVF was notified of the landing aircraft's intentions but did not voice any concerns to the controller at the time of the event.
Findings
- The primary cause was a breach of standard air traffic procedures regarding runway occupancy.
- The air traffic controller issued a clearance that required one aircraft to overfly another on the same runway, which is not permitted under standard regulations.
- A lapse in airmanship occurred as neither pilot questioned the unsafe instruction or expressed concern regarding the runway configuration.
- The controller's actions were deemed unprofessional and unwise, leading to the temporary suspension of their ratings by the Irish Aviation Authority during the review process.