What happened
On April 24, 2016, an Embraer 170 was taxiing toward stand number 39 at Warsaw Chopin Airport (EPWA) when a ground service vehicle, specifically a conveyor belt loader, crossed the aircraft's path. The vehicle was traveling along a service road when the incursion occurred, forcing the flight crew to interrupt the taxiing process and bring the aircraft to a complete stop.
The investigation
The PKBWL investigation confirmed the sequence of events through an analysis of airport CCTV footage. The investigation established that the driver of the service vehicle had committed a similar error within a short period of time prior to this incident.
Findings
The investigation concluded that the incident was caused by the failure of the vehicle driver to exercise due care and a failure to comply with the established regulations outlined in the "Movement of Vehicles and Pedestrians at Warsaw Chopin Airport" (INOP-IRPP) instructions.
Safety action
Following the incident, the following actions were taken:
- The authorization for the driver of the conveyor belt loader to operate vehicles within Warsaw Chopin Airport was revoked.
- The necessity of adhering to safety rules for movement within the ground movement area was reinforced during a meeting of the airport's Safety Committee.