Incident Description
On 13 April 2022, two Tecnam P2008-JC aircraft, registration SP-LFF and SP-HSI, were conducting left-hand circuits for runway 21 at EPPT airport. Both aircraft were operating training flights with two-person crews, including instructors on board. At approximately 8:20 local time, SP-LFF departed after completing a convoy (aircraft preceding on the circuit). Shortly thereafter, SP-HSI took off as the second aircraft.
Despite being aware of traffic ahead, the pilot of SP-HSI likely did not maintain adequate visual contact with the preceding aircraft. The pilot failed to adjust the position of the first turn to account for the preceding aircraft and executed the turn prematurely. This resulted in SP-HSI overtaking SP-LFF and both aircraft converging near the second turn. Their flight paths crossed, with a vertical separation of only a few tens of meters during the pass. Until the moment of passing, the crews of both aircraft did not see each other. The incident was observed by a pilot of another aircraft in the circuit, who confirmed the sequence of events. Both aircraft landed safely at their intended destinations.
Causes and Contributing Factors
The incident was attributed to several factors: 1. The crew of the second aircraft (SP-HSI) failed to adjust its circuit trajectory by executing the first turn prematurely without considering the position of the preceding aircraft. 2. The crew of the second aircraft conducted insufficient traffic observation on the circuit, leading to a loss of situational awareness regarding the preceding aircraft's location. 3. The crew of the first aircraft (SP-LFF) also conducted insufficient visual scanning, at least in the direction of the turn, and did not detect the potentially conflicting traffic in a timely manner.
Preventive Actions
The entity responsible for flight operations at EPPT discussed the incident during a refresher training session for practical training instructors at the ATO LFA. No safety recommendations were issued by the investigation commission.