Incident Overview
A driver who was scheduled to inspect an aircraft at an airport mistakenly believed the aircraft was stationary on the domestic apron. In reality, the aircraft was being towed and was stopped at the holding point for Runway 21. The driver entered the taxiways without a clearance and without authorization to do so. After becoming confused, the driver crossed the holding point for Runway 21.
Response by Wing Safety Officer
The Wing Safety Officer (WSO) observed the driver's actions and used the vehicle's siren, horn, and loudspeaker to alert the driver. The WSO informed the driver that they were about to enter the runway and instructed them to stop immediately.
Contributing Factors
The driver was focused on completing a time-critical activity in an area of the airport that they were not familiar with. These factors likely combined to affect the driver's ability to recognize that the aircraft they were scheduled to meet was being towed and was stationary on a taxiway, rather than parked on the apron. Additionally, the driver failed to identify that they had turned off the perimeter road and traversed several taxiways before crossing a holding point and entering an active runway.