Incident Details
On 20 March 2016, at approximately 15:41 UTC, an Embraer 190 (E190) was involved in a near-collision with a Follow Me vehicle on taxiway M2 near stand 17 at Warsaw Chopin Airport. The aircraft had received pushback and engine start clearance at 15:36 UTC, with pushback commencing at 15:37 UTC and completed by 15:40 UTC. The crew initially received taxi instructions via taxiways M2, M3, and E to threshold 29. However, due to another aircraft being pushed back from stand 23, the ground controller requested the Follow Me vehicle to assess whether the E190 could be guided through stand 40 to taxiway A. After confirmation, the taxi instructions were amended to a right turn through stand 40 with Follow Me assistance to taxiway A, then via taxiway E to threshold 29.
As the E190 began taxiing at 15:41 UTC, the Follow Me vehicle, which had been moving south parallel to taxiway M, made a sudden left turn toward the taxiway axis, then a right turn along the axis, positioning itself directly in front of the aircraft. The vehicle then turned right again toward stand 40. The aircraft crew, upon seeing the vehicle too close ahead, executed an abrupt stop to avoid a collision. The crew later reported that the vehicle had cut in front of them, forcing the stop. After clarifying the situation with the tower controller, the crew continued taxiing behind the Follow Me vehicle.
Analysis
Analysis of CCTV recordings and radio communications revealed that the E190 crew had received the amended taxi instructions but did not read them back, instead requesting a repeat. The tower controller was momentarily busy with another aircraft, so the instructions were repeated seconds later. The Follow Me vehicle operator, possibly fearing that the aircraft would miss the intended route through stand 40, increased speed to get into the crew's line of sight quickly. The short distance to the turn onto stand 40 contributed to the abruptness of the maneuver, bringing the vehicle dangerously close to the aircraft and necessitating the emergency stop. The vehicle operator was unaware of the situation until informed by the tower controller after the crew's report.
Probable Cause
The Polish State Commission for Aircraft Accident Investigation identified the probable cause as a combination of human factors: delays in radio communication and the Follow Me vehicle operator's eagerness to comply with the tower controller's instruction before the taxiing aircraft passed the turn-off point to stand 40. Additionally, the maneuver was executed at excessive speed and at an unsafe proximity to the aircraft. A contributing factor was the high volume of radio traffic due to intense aircraft movements, which caused delays in the transmission and receipt of information.
Safety Actions
The investigating body (the air navigation service provider) used CCTV and tower recordings in training for ground movement coordinators, focusing on human factors in aviation for airport operational staff. No safety recommendations were issued by the commission.