What happened
Two distinct runway incursions occurred at Auckland International Airport in 2007. The first incident took place on 29 May 2007, involving a Saab SF340A. While holding on an angled taxiway, the aircraft was mistakenly cleared to line up in front of an arriving Raytheon 1900D. Although the aerodrome controller attempted to issue an amended clearance, the transmission overlapped with the Saab crew's readback of the original instruction. To prevent a collision, the pilots of both aircraft performed evasive maneuvers and brought their aircraft to a stop on the runway; no injuries or damage were reported.
On 1 August 2007, a second incident occurred involving a Raytheon 1900D. A crew holding on an angled taxiway mistakenly accepted a takeoff clearance intended for another Raytheon 1900D that was already positioned on the runway and shared a similar call sign. Both crews read back the clearance, and while the controller heard the error, no corrective action was taken. The holding aircraft entered the runway in front of the aircraft that had already begun its takeoff roll. The pilots of both aircraft successfully executed avoiding action, stopping on the runway without any 0 fatalities or injuries.
The investigation
The investigation examined the operational environment at Auckland International Airport, specifically focusing on the use of angled taxiways for runway entry. Investigators looked into the handling of flight progress strips for departing traffic and the effectiveness of radiotelephony (RTF) procedures. The inquiry also assessed how the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAA) recorded and investigated runway incursions, noting that at the time, there was no standardized definition or consistent assessment of the scale of such incidents in the country.
Findings
Several contributing factors were identified across both events:
- The use of angled taxiways, which can result in restricted cockpit visibility of approaching or lined-up traffic.
- Errors in radiotelephony, including the acceptance of incorrect clearances and the failure to correct crossed transmissions.
- Ineffective local procedures for managing flight progress strips for departing aircraft.
- The captain of the entering aircraft failed to visually identify the aircraft already present on the runway.
- A lack of standardized reporting and investigation protocols for runway incursions by the CAA.
Safety action
The incidents highlighted significant concerns regarding the procedures for issuing and accepting conditional clearances for runway entry, particularly when aircraft are positioned on angled taxiways where visibility is compromised.