Incident Overview
On 17 April 2024 at 19:32 UTC, an Airbus A330-343E aircraft registered TC-LOC, operated by Turkish Airlines, was performing commercial flight TK1046 from Henri Coandă International Airport Bucharest (LROP) to Istanbul Airport (LTFM). The aircraft carried 258 passengers and 10 crew members.
Flight History
During the takeoff roll on runway 26L, the aircraft was incorrectly aligned, causing it to roll over the right marginal light line. After departure, personnel inspecting the runway found 10 edge lights on the northern side of runway 26L destroyed, as well as an information panel indicating the exit to taxiway G. Additionally, a portion of the runway safety strip on the northern side was peeled off along the area of the damaged lights.
During the approach to Istanbul, the crew declared an emergency due to possible tire damage to the front landing gear and informed the control tower about the possibility of stopping on the runway. The aircraft landed at 20:29 UTC, cleared the runway, and stopped on taxiway C6. Passengers disembarked safely using stairs.
Damage
After landing, the front landing gear wheels were found broken and were replaced. During subsequent checks, damage was also found to main landing gear wheels 1, 6, 7, and 8, which were replaced. Foreign object damage was detected on engine fan blades: blades 6, 22, and 25 of engine 1, and blades 12, 17, and 19 of engine 2. The aircraft was returned to service on 25 April 2024.
Personnel Information
The pilot-in-command, a 55-year-old male, held a valid Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) and had 6,452 total flight hours. The co-pilot, a 44-year-old male, also held a valid ATPL and had 2,957 total flight hours. Both had valid medical certificates.
Meteorological Conditions
At the time of the incident, the aerodrome meteorological report (METAR) at Bucharest indicated visibility of 10 km or more, broken cloud ceiling at 200 m and 400 m, cumulonimbus clouds at 1,500 m, temperature 10°C, and rain showers.
Cause
The investigation determined that the takeoff roll on the right marginal light line of runway 26L occurred due to the aircraft's incorrect alignment for takeoff, resulting from crew distraction during taxi before runway line-up.