Introduction
On 22 May 2016, an Embraer 170 aircraft (flight LOT268) operated by LOT Polish Airlines was involved in an incident at Warsaw Okęcie Airport (EPWA). The aircraft had arrived from Amsterdam Schiphol and was landing.
Sequence of Events
After receiving landing clearance, the crew was instructed by Warsaw Tower to vacate the runway via taxiway A4 or L. The aircraft touched down at 19:20 UTC and exited the runway onto taxiway N1. While taxiing, the crew encountered painters working at the intersection of taxiways N1 and E2. The ground controller immediately issued a stop instruction. Due to an anticipated delay in frequency switching, the tower controller also issued a stop instruction before taxiway E. The painters vacated the area, and after the paint had dried, the crew continued taxiing.
Investigation
The Polish State Commission on Aircraft Accident Investigation (PKBWL) investigated the incident. The report was finalized on 31 January 2017.
Cause
The investigation identified two causes: (1) The instruction to vacate the runway was issued during the final approach phase; (2) The crew was oriented toward performing the typical after-landing manoeuvre for that runway at that airport.
Safety Actions
The event was recorded in the SMS database of LOT Polish Airlines and classified according to company criteria. The Runway Safety Team recommended that the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency consider adding information about taxiway availability to the Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS).
Commission Comment
The PKBWL noted that the final approach phase requires high crew concentration and only safety-critical information should be provided during this phase. It also stated that flight crews should not assume a typical operation; the final determinant is always the air traffic control instruction. No safety recommendations were issued by the commission.