Incident Overview
On 13 March 2018 at 1215 UTC, a Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior II, registration G-BTAW, landed on a closed runway at Castle Kennedy Airfield, Dumfries and Galloway. The aircraft was on a private flight with one pilot and one passenger; no injuries were sustained and no damage occurred.
Flight History
The pilot and a fellow flying group member departed their home base for a day trip to several airfields. After landing at Kirkbride Airfield and swapping seats, they planned to fly to Prestwick Airport but changed the route due to low cloud base over high ground. Instead, they decided to fly along the coast and stop at Castle Kennedy. Both pilots were familiar with the airfield. Concern over weather and a possible maintenance issue at Kirkbride led them not to consult NOTAMs for the new route or telephone Castle Kennedy to obtain prior permission (PPR).
During the flight to Castle Kennedy, the pilot contacted Scottish Information and then switched to the SAFETYCOM frequency (135.475 MHz) approximately 10 nm from the airfield. Several broadcasts were made before landing. As the pilot approached the runway, he noticed an object near the threshold but could not identify it until the flare, when he saw a cross (yellow on red background, 3 m by 3.2 m) lying flat on the tarmac. He saw no further obstacles and decided the safest course was to continue landing.
After shutdown, members of a kite company approached the pilot and informed him that the runway was closed and a NOTAM was in effect. The kite company was working at the airfield but was not flying the full-size kite at the time. Six staff were present, some working near the runway. A staff member monitoring SAFETYCOM heard the aircraft's transmissions and alerted others to move away from the runway. It was estimated that only 3.5 minutes elapsed from the first SAFETYCOM transmission to landing. The kite staff commented that if the full-size kite had been flying, this would have been insufficient time to lower it and clear the runway.
Airfield Conditions
Castle Kennedy Airfield is unlicensed and requires PPR for all operations except for based aircraft. At the time, the airfield owner was working with a company developing power generation from large tethered kites. An active NOTAM stated the runway would be closed during kite flying operations. The full-size kite had a 10 m wingspan, 30 kg mass, could reach 100 kt, and was tethered to a winch on the runway (breaking strain 6,500 kg). It operated up to 1,100 ft above airfield level. Although the NOTAM in effect on the incident date did not specifically state the runway was closed during kite flying, the owner required PPR, which they considered sufficient. The NOTAM was updated on 18 March 2018 to explicitly state the runway closure during kite operations.
The kite company had placed a large cross at the runway threshold, lying flat. It measured 3 m by 3.2 m and was yellow on red. The company expected aircraft to overfly the airfield before landing, making the cross clearly visible, but the pilot's approach angle might have hidden it. After the incident, the company decided to review the marking and placement.
Conclusion
The pilot did not check NOTAMs or obtain PPR for the new destination. As a result, the aircraft landed on the closed runway at Castle Kennedy. The use of SAFETYCOM allowed kite staff to clear the runway, but this was only possible because the full-size kite was not being flown.
Probable Cause
The pilot did not check NOTAMs or obtain prior permission for the new destination, resulting in landing on a closed runway.