What happened
On 18 September 2018, an Air Arabia Airbus A320-214, registration A6-ANV, was operating a scheduled passenger flight from Sharjah International Airport to Salalah International Airport. The flight was a training session, with a trainee copilot acting as the pilot flying and a training captain in the left seat.
After receiving air traffic control clearance for an intersection takeoff from taxiway Bravo 14 for runway 30, the crew began their takeoff roll. However, instead of turning left to align with the correct runway, the aircraft steered right, inadvertently entering runway 12. As the aircraft accelerated through 57 knots, the commander realized the error. Believing there was insufficient distance to safely abort the takeoff, the commander decided to continue. During the rotation, the aircraft's number 3 main wheel tire struck an approach light, causing cuts to the tire. The aircraft lifted off approximately 20 to 40 meters beyond the end of runway 12. There were 0 injuries to the 42 passengers and 6 crewmembers on board.
The investigation
The UAE Air Accident Investigation Sector (AAIS) examined the flight operations, aircraft systems, and human factors involved in the incident. The investigation looked into the crew's taxi procedures, the effectiveness of the takeoff briefing, and the visibility from the air traffic control standby tower. Investigators also reviewed the aircraft's technical configuration, noting the absence of certain runway awareness augmentation systems.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was runway confusion, where the crew mistakenly lined up on runway 12 instead of runway 30.
- The crew failed to effectively utilize critical barriers, such as positive runway identification and the takeoff briefing, to verify their position.
- The commander's decision to continue the takeoff was driven by the perception of insufficient remaining runway to perform a rejected takeoff.
- The air traffic controller's ability to monitor the Bravo 14 intersection was hindered by a light pole obstructing the view from the standby tower.
- The aircraft was not equipped with advanced runway awareness and advisory systems (RAAS) that could have provided visual or aural alerts regarding the error.
- The use of a single-engine taxi procedure may have increased the flight crew's workload during the critical phase of the flight.