History of the Incident
On October 27, 2018, at around 12:38 JST, a serious incident occurred at Tokyo International Airport involving two aircraft. Aircraft A, a Gulfstream Aerospace G-VI registered B-3276 and operated by Shanghai Deer Jet Co., Ltd., had commenced taxiing from Spot 953 to Departure Runway 16R at 12:31 JST. On board were ten persons: a captain, three crewmembers, one mechanic, and five passengers. At 12:35:25, the ground controller instructed Aircraft A to taxi to the runway-holding position markings on Taxiway T7 and hold short of Runway 22 (B-RWY).
Aircraft B, a Cessna 510 registered JA123F operated by Okayama Air Service Co., Ltd., was flying from Kohnan Airfield to Tokyo International Airport. After being cleared for an LDA approach to B-RWY, it changed frequency to the local north (LN) controller and received a landing clearance at 12:36:11.
At around 12:37:00, LN transmitted to Aircraft A: "B3276, TOKYO TOWER, HOLD SHORT OF RUNWAY 22 AT T7, STAND BY FURTHER INSTRUCTION DUE TO SEQUENCE." The captain and first officer (FO) of Aircraft A heard their call sign but could not understand the message due to interference. The FO twice transmitted requests for confirmation, but these transmissions were not recorded in ATS communication records and did not reach LN. The crew believed they heard an affirmative response from LN. At around 12:37:53, Aircraft A began moving toward the runway and crossed B-RWY without clearance. At 12:38:10, LN instructed Aircraft B to execute a go-around and told Aircraft A to hold its position on Taxiway B7.
Personnel Information
The captain of Aircraft A, age 52, held an airline transport pilot certificate with a type rating for G-VI, total flight time of 15,600 hours, and 320 hours on type. The FO, age 34, held a commercial pilot certificate with type rating for G-VI (co-pilot only), total flight time of 1,368 hours 50 minutes, and 558 hours on type.
Aircraft Information
Aircraft A was a Gulfstream Aerospace G-VI, serial number 6266, manufactured April 4, 2017. It held a certificate of airworthiness in the transport category (passenger transport). Total flight time was 322 hours 12 minutes. It was equipped with a Honeywell International Inc. VHF-1 radio, model TR-866B.
Communications and Radar
ATS communication records showed no trace of transmissions from Aircraft A to LN, and LN did not receive any read-back from Aircraft A. However, LN visually observed Aircraft A holding short before the incursion. The variable message sign (VMS) on Taxiway T7 illuminated at about 12:37:54, but the crew did not clearly recall seeing it. Radio communication conditions were reported as good by both aircraft and controllers.
Conclusion
The incident was classified as a serious incident under Japanese regulations. No injuries or damage to aircraft occurred. The go-around was performed safely with sufficient margins.