What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2018-07-08 involved a aircraft, registration SE-GIK, at Anholt, DK.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The near-collision was caused by the landing of SE-GIK on runway 21 while SE-KNC was still occupying the runway boundaries while taxiing through the safety zone.

Near-collision of two aircraft at Anholt Aerodrome

A landing on an occupied runway at Anholt Aerodrome resulted in a near-collision between two Piper Cherokee aircraft.

What happened

On July 8, 2018, at approximately 09:50 UTC, a serious incident occurred at Anholt Aerodrome (EKAT) involving two light aircraft. The first aircraft, a PIPER PA28 140 with registration SE-KNC, arrived from Randers (EKRD). After an initial approach and a subsequent go-around, the pilot of SE-KNC landed on runway 21. Following the landing, the pilot taxied toward the apron, choosing to use the safety zone to reach the destination.

Simultaneously, a second aircraft, a PIPE PA28 180 registered as SE-GIK, arrived from Varberg (ESGV) in Sweden. As the pilot of SE-KNC was taxiing through the safety zone, the right wing of the aircraft remained within the runway boundaries of runway 21. During this time, SE-GIK landed on the same runway, approximately 100 to 200 meters ahead of SE-KNC. As the two aircraft passed each other on the ground, the horizontal separation between their wingtips was estimated to be only about 2 meters.

The investigation

The investigation examined the movements of both aircraft, the airfield conditions, and the communication between the pilots. Investigators noted that while both pilots were communicating on the airfield frequency (131.500 MHz), this communication did not prevent the landing on the occupied runway.

Regarding the airfield, the investigation found that according to the VFR Flight Guide Denmark, the safety zones for runways 03 and 21 were technically unusable due to uneven surfaces and loose sand. Furthermore, the investigation noted that the runway centerline had been permitted to shift 10 meters to either side to reduce wear, a factor that may have influenced the pilot's perception of the runway boundaries.

Findings

The pilot of SE-KNC utilized the safety zone for taxiing, which placed the aircraft's right wing within the active runway limits.
The use of the safety zone by SE-KNC likely influenced the decision-making of the pilot of SE-GIK, who perceived the aircraft to be taxiing outside of the runway area.
The landing of SE-GIK on an occupied runway created a significant risk of collision.
Although radio communication was active, it was insufficient to prevent the occurrence.