What happened
On 7 August 2019, an Embraer 145EP, registration G-SAJK, was performing a scheduled passenger service from Aberdeen to London Southend Airport. During its landing roll on Runway 23, the commander observed an object on the right side of the centreline, approximately 8 to 10 metres ahead of the aircraft. As the aircraft passed the object, the pilot felt a slight vibration through the rudder pedals.
An investigation revealed that a towbar had been left on the runway by a Cessna P210N Pressurized Centurion, registration G-CDMH, which had departed from the same airport approximately 30 minutes earlier. The towbar had detached from the Cessna during its takeoff roll and remained on the asphalt. While two other aircraft used the runway and an airport operations vehicle performed a wildlife inspection in the interim, the object was not detected. The Embraer 145 experienced no damage following the encounter.
The investigation
The AAIB established that the pilot of the Cessna P210N had been involved in a near-miss with a cyclist while traveling to the airport by motorcycle. This stressful road traffic incident had distracted the pilot during his pre-flight preparations, leading him to inadvertently leave the towbar attached to the aircraft. The pilot only realized the equipment might still be attached roughly 30 minutes into the flight.
Investigators also examined the visibility of the equipment and the effectiveness of runway inspections. The towbar was painted a dark blue, making it difficult to distinguish against the dark runway surface, especially given the low angle of the evening sun. Furthermore, the airport's scheduled inspection at the time was specifically a wildlife inspection, meaning the driver's attention may have been focused on the sky rather than the ground.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the pilot's distraction following a stressful road traffic event, which resulted in the failure to stow the towbar.
- The towbar was difficult to identify due to its dark colour and lack of reflective markings.
- The pre-flight checklist used by the pilot did not explicitly require a check for the removal of ground equipment.
Safety action
A safety recommendation has been made to the CAA to encourage the general aviation community to improve the visibility of ground support equipment.