What happened
On August 30, 2024, at approximately 11:50 local time, flight training activities involving both powered and glider aircraft were underway at Piotrków Trybunalski Airport (EPPT). During the circuit pattern, two Tecnam P2008 aircraft were operating in the vicinity.
The first aircraft, occupied by an instructor and a student pilot, reported being on final approach for runway 21 and declared an intention to land. The air traffic controller granted landing clearance with a specific condition: the crew was instructed to vacate taxiway "B" at the end of runway 21 immediately after completing the landing roll. The crew acknowledged this instruction.
Following this aircraft, a second Tecnam P20 and registration SP-LFO, piloted by a person holding a PPL(A) license, was also on final approach. The pilot was assigned landing sequence number two. Upon reporting the final approach, the pilot received conditional landing clearance, which was contingent upon the preceding aircraft vacating the runway. The pilot responded to the controller stating they were "landing with attention."
Despite the preceding aircraft still being on the runway, the pilot of SP-LFO did not execute a missed approach. The aircraft touched down while the first aircraft was near the intersection with taxiway "B". At the moment of landing, the distance between the two aircraft was approximately 500 meters. Both aircraft eventually vacated the runway safely.
The investigation
The investigation examined the radio communications between the pilot of SP-LFO and the air traffic controller, as well as the pilot's interpretation of the conditional clearance. The investigation also reviewed the operational context of the flight and the pilot's decision-making process regarding the separation between the two aircraft.
Findings
- The pilot of SP-LFO performed an inadequate assessment of the traffic situation, which led to the decision to land while the end of the runway was still occupied by the preceding aircraft.
- The pilot failed to correctly understand the air traffic controller's radio communications, specifically the conditional nature of the landing clearance which required the first aircraft to vacate the runway first.
- A contributing factor was the pilot's perceived haste, likely driven by the approaching scheduled end time for the flight.
Safety action
- The operator conducted a safety briefing with the pilot of SP-LFO to review the incident in detail and emphasize the necessary procedures for executing a missed approach when runway occupancy is uncertain.