Overview
An incident occurred on 21 April 2015 at Gdańsk–Rębiechowo Airport (EPGD) involving a Boeing 737-800 (B738) and a Dash 8 (DH8D). The investigation was conducted by the air navigation service provider under the supervision of Bogdan Fydrych.
Sequence of Events
At 18:37 UTC, the airport traffic control tower (TWR) controller cleared the B738 for pushback from stand 23 onto taxiway M. At 18:38 UTC, the DH8D landed on runway 29 and received a taxi instruction to proceed via taxiway M to stand 21, which required passing behind stand 23. At approximately 18:40 UTC, the ground movement coordinator informed the TWR that stand 23 had not yet started pushback but was ready, and the taxiing DH8D had not yet passed stand 23. The TWR controller then cancelled the pushback clearance for the B738 and reissued it after the DH8D passed stand 23.
Findings
The TWR controller was also coordinating with the approach control for a calibration aircraft performing PAPI lights checks on runway 29. The controller's position had blind spots: taxiway M and some stands were not visible from the tower. Taxiway M connects with taxiway A6 in two places, forming a stretched U-shape; its designation caused pilot confusion, as evidenced by the DH8D pilot asking if they had taxied correctly. The TWR controller intended for the DH8D to taxi to the segment of taxiway M closer to taxiway A5, but the taxi instruction did not specify this route. Consequently, the DH8D crew turned onto the nearest segment of taxiway M, which was not visible to the controller and led toward the B738 pushback area. The ground coordinator's information enabled the controller to cancel the pushback and ensure safety. The TWR controller held valid air traffic controller licenses (ADI and OJT) since 2006 and 2009 respectively, with a refresher course on hazardous situations completed in May 2014.
Cause
The incident was caused by errors in air traffic management.
Safety Recommendations
The investigating commission did not formulate any safety recommendations.