Incident Overview
On 23 May 2025, at the EPKA aerodrome, glider towing operations were underway. A Tecnam P2008 aircraft (registration not determined) arrived and requested permission for a touch-and-go maneuver. The flight director granted clearance, stipulating that there be no traffic in the approach and landing zone.
Sequence of Events
During the final approach to Runway 29 Left (RWY29L) and touchdown of the Tecnam, the flight director observed a tow aircraft (KR-030 Topaz, SP-SPRW) and glider (SZD-50-3 Puchacz, SP-3409) starting their takeoff roll from parallel Runway 29 Right (RWY29R). Shortly after takeoff, the tow aircraft initiated a turn to the south, crossing the axis of RWY29L occupied by the Tecnam. The flight director immediately radioed a traffic advisory to the Tecnam pilot, who had already noticed the approaching formation and executed a left evasive maneuver, avoiding a collision.
Causes and Contributing Factors
The investigation identified the following causes and contributing factors:
- Ambiguous flight direction rules and inadequate communication between the glider coordinator (stationed in the glider area) and the flight director (located in the port building).
- The glider coordinator failed to recognize the potential conflict in the airfield traffic area and did not delay the tow team's departure until after the touch-and-go aircraft had departed.
- Limited experience of the tow pilot with traffic patterns at EPKA, leading to a premature turn after takeoff.
- Excessive wind correction applied by the tow pilot, resulting in overflight of the occupied parallel runway.
Preventive Actions
The investigating organization implemented the following measures:
- A safety briefing was held with flight personnel and coordinators at EPKA, discussing combined flight conditions, possible special cases, and procedures in non-standard situations.
- A requirement was introduced for close cooperation between duty personnel: in the absence of the flight director in the glider area, the glider coordinator may authorize a tow team start only after receiving approval from the flight director.
- For simultaneous takeoffs or landings on parallel runways, aircraft crews must confirm by radio that they have visual contact with each other.
No safety recommendations were issued.