Incident Overview
On the morning of March 6, a Jetstream 31 (serial number 817) with a single pilot on board was being repositioned from the main passenger terminal at the north end of Calgary International Airport to the Avitat facility on the south side. The pilot had received and acknowledged taxi instructions via taxiways Golf, Charlie, and Xray, with a hold short of runway 28. After being cleared to cross runway 28, the pilot continued straight ahead onto taxiway Charlie 2, a one-way taxiway designated for exiting aircraft landing on runway 34. As the aircraft approached the intersection of Charlie 2 and runway 34, the pilot saw the runway lights and applied brakes upon instruction from the ground controller, stopping with the nose beyond the runway edge. Simultaneously, an Air BC Dash 8 was landing on runway 34 and was instructed to stop, coming to a halt about 1,000 feet before reaching taxiway Charlie 2. The Jetstream was then redirected, and both aircraft proceeded without further incident.
Sequence of Events
The Jetstream had arrived from Cranbrook, British Columbia, and parked at gate 1 to off-load passengers. The first officer disembarked, leaving the captain to taxi alone. As the captain approached runway 10/28, he selected reverse thrust to slow the aircraft, which blew snow onto the windscreen. While crossing runway 28 after clearance, he reached across the cockpit to activate the windscreen wipers, turning them on momentarily. Upon looking outside, he did not notice he was on the wrong taxiway and missed the do-not-enter signs at the entrance to Charlie 2. He also did not see the runway 34 sign as he passed the snow-covered stop line. The pilot was familiar with the airport layout.
The Dash 8, completing an ILS approach, had the runway in sight at about 700 feet above ground level. Neither pilot saw the white Jetstream during final approach.
Weather and Conditions
At 0738, the weather observation reported wind 050 degrees magnetic at 3 knots, visibility 1 statute mile, runway visual range (RVR) 6,000 feet plus for runway 16 and 5,500 feet for runway 28, light snow, and 700 feet overcast. At 0755, about four minutes after the incursion, visibility had dropped to 3/4 statute mile, RVR 4,000 feet for runway 16 and 5,000 feet for runway 28, with variable ceiling of 600 feet and snow 8/8. Ambient light was dull early-morning daylight. Snow-clearing operations were underway, with priority on runway centerlines. Taxiways were partially snow-covered, and braking was reported as poor on snow-covered portions. Signs were reported clear of snow and illuminated.
Airport Layout
Normal traffic flow from the main terminal to the south end or runway 34 uses taxiways Golf and Charlie. Taxiway Golf ends at its intersection with runway 10/28 and Charlie. Directly in line with Golf is taxiway Charlie 2, which is one-way and used exclusively as a runway exit for aircraft landing on runway 34. International do-not-enter signs, illuminated red and white and made of reflective material, are located at the east entrance of Charlie 2. This convergence area had been identified by NAV CANADA and Calgary Airport Authority staff as a known potential confusion area, particularly for crews unfamiliar with the airport. Several previous incidents involved aircraft taxiing from Charlie 2 onto Golf.
Findings and Safety Actions
The Transportation Safety Board identified that the pilot was distracted when activating the windscreen wipers and inadvertently entered taxiway Charlie 2. Contributing factors included the pilot taxiing without a second crew member and the use of reverse thrust, which caused snow to be blown onto the windscreen, necessitating wiper use. Prior to the incident, the airport authority had attempted to mitigate confusion at this intersection by installing dual lens blue and red lights, but this configuration was later changed to unidirectional blue lights with high-visibility fiber-optic signs. In response to this and other incidents, NAV CANADA and Transport Canada formed a sub-committee on runway incursions, which published 23 recommendations in September 2000.