Occurrence
On 30 August 2024, at the Piotrków Trybunalski aerodrome (EPPT), training flights were being conducted for both powered aircraft and gliders. Around 11:50 local time, two Tecnam P2008 aircraft were in the traffic circuit. The first aircraft, carrying an instructor and a student pilot, reported base leg for runway 21 and declared a full-stop landing. The flight coordinator cleared the crew to land and instructed them to vacate via taxiway B at the end of runway 21. The crew acknowledged.
Following the first aircraft, the second Tecnam, registration SP-LFO, was on approach. The pilot, holding a PPL(A) license, had received a sequence number "2" from the flight coordinator. After reporting base leg, the pilot received a conditional landing clearance, valid only if the preceding aircraft vacated the runway. The pilot responded that he was "landing with caution." Despite the preceding aircraft still being on the runway, the pilot of SP-LFO did not abandon the approach. He touched down while the leading aircraft was near taxiway B. The ground separation between the aircraft was approximately 500 meters. Both aircraft safely vacated the runway.
Causes and Contributing Factors
The Polish State Commission on Aircraft Accident Investigation (PKBWL) identified the following causes and contributing factors:
1. Improper assessment of the traffic situation by the pilot of SP-LFO, leading to the decision to land on a runway where the preceding aircraft was still present. 2. Misunderstanding by the pilot of SP-LFO of the radio communication from the flight coordinator, in which the landing clearance was conditional and dependent on the preceding aircraft vacating the runway. 3. A possible additional contributing factor was the pilot's haste due to the approaching scheduled end of the flight.
Preventive Actions
The operator conducted a safety briefing with the pilot of SP-LFO, during which the incident and conditions necessitating a landing abort were discussed in detail.
Safety Recommendations
No additional safety recommendations were issued by the Commission.