What happened
On February 22, 2023, at approximately 1855 PST, a runway incursion involving two aircraft occurred at Bob Hope Airport (BUR) in Burbank, California. The aircraft involved were a MHI RJ CRJ-900, operated by Mesa Airlines as flight ASH5826, and an Embraer ERJ 170-200, operated by SkyWest Airlines as flight SKW5326.
Prior to the event, the local controller instructed the SkyWest aircraft, registration N619UX, to line up and wait on runway 33. At the same time, the Mesa Airlines aircraft, registration N954LR, was on a visual approach to the same runway. The controller advised the crew of N954LR that traffic was holding on the runway and instructed them to continue their approach.
The SkyWest aircraft entered runway 33, back-taxied, and aligned with the runway heading. At 1855:38, the controller cleared the SkyWest aircraft for takeoff. At 1855:43, the controller cleared the Mesa Airlines aircraft to land on runway 33. At the time of the takeoff clearance, the Mesa Airlines aircraft was 1.6 miles from the runway threshold.
Shortly after the takeoff roll began, the crew of N954LR determined that separation was insufficient and initiated a go-around. As the aircraft climbed, the two planes reached a minimum horizontal separation of 1,68 and 0 feet. The crew of N954LR subsequently reported receiving a resolution advisory (RA) from the onboard Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS).
There were no injuries to the 73 passengers and crew on the SkyWest flight or the 41 passengers and crew on the Mesa Airlines flight.
The investigation
The investigation examined air traffic control communications and aircraft performance data. The controller had recently instructed a third, uninvolved VFR Cirrus aircraft to perform a go-around on runway 26, which led to several communications regarding a new approach pattern.
An aircraft performance study showed that the controller's focus on the Cirrus aircraft may have been a distraction. Additionally, it was noted that the Bob Hope Airport tower lacked surface detection equipment, which would have provided visual and aural warnings of the reduced separation between the two jets.
Findings
- The local controller did not issue a traffic advisory or safety alert to either flight crew after the Mesa Airlines aircraft initiated the go-around.
- The controller's workload was impacted by the management of a go-around for a separate aircraft on a different runway.
- The lack of surface detection equipment at the airport prevented automated alerts for the potential conflict.