What happened
An aircraft attempted to take off from a runway at Gunnedah Airport while the aerodrome was officially closed for emergency maintenance. Although a NOTAM had been issued 20 hours prior to the event to notify users of the closure, the pilot did not review the notice before the flight.
The investigation
The investigation examined the visibility of runway closure indicators and the communication of regulatory updates. While a total unserviceability signal was positioned near the primary wind direction indicator, it was not visible to a pilot operating on the manoeuvring surface. Furthermore, no additional unserviceability markers were placed on the runway itself.
Regulatory compliance was also scrutinized. Under the Part 139 Manual of Standards (MOS) in effect at the time, specific markings or the presence of a works safety officer were required. The aerodrome reporting officer believed they were following correct procedures and had misinterpreted guidance from Airservices regarding these requirements. Additionally, the investigation found that the aerodrome operator had not updated their contact details with CASA, meaning they did not receive recent legislative updates via the official email distribution system.
Findings
- The pilot failed to check the NOTAMs, which would have alerted them to the aerodrome closure.
- There was an absence of required unserviceability markers on the runway and no works safety officer present to provide additional risk control.
- Aerodrome staff were unaware of the updated MOS requirements and were operating under an outdated understanding of marking obligations.
- A failure to update contact information with CASA prevented the aerodrome from receiving timely regulatory notifications.