Event Overview
On March 31, 2025, a student pilot and instructor were conducting training flights in a Tecnam P2008JC aircraft registered as SP-FDR at EPLL (Łódź Władysław Reymont Airport). During the same period, a 'Follow Me' vehicle was performing an inspection of the maneuvering area on taxiway TWY A.
Sequence of Events
The TWR assistant had authorized the 'Follow Me' driver to proceed only on taxiways, maintaining a safe distance from the runway. However, the driver misinterpreted the instruction and entered the active runway. The aircraft was on short final for runway 25 when the instructor spotted the vehicle on the runway. The instructor alerted the student and ordered a go-around. The 'Follow Me' vehicle subsequently vacated the runway, and the aircraft landed safely without further incident.
Causes and Contributing Factors
The investigation identified the following causes and contributing factors: 1. Error by the 'Follow Me' driver, who experienced reduced vigilance and a confirmation bias, mistakenly believing the instruction permitted runway entry. This error may have resulted from routine behavior and focus on the inspection rather than on the content of radio communications. 2. Failure of the TWR controller to require a full readback of the instruction from the 'Follow Me' driver.
Safety Actions
The investigating body accepted the following preventive measures: 1. Briefing of TWR EPLL operational staff on the internal PAŻP report, emphasizing the necessity of enforcing complete and correct readback of instructions concerning runway and maneuvering area occupancy. 2. The airport operator implemented corrective actions to improve the quality of radio communications related to the movement of airport services in the maneuvering area.
No safety recommendations were issued.