On October 17, 2017, a Cessna Aircraft Company Cessna 510 was involved in an aviation accident near Flughafen Sylt, DE. No fatalities were reported. This summary draws on records from the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU).
On 17 October 2017, a Cessna 510 landed at Sylt Airport while a ground vehicle crossed runway 24. The aircraft and vehicle were about 800 meters apart. No injuries or damage occurred.
Incident Overview On 17 October 2017, a Cessna 510 was on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight from Diepholz to Sylt Airport. The aircraft carried a two-person crew and two passengers. During landing on runway 24, a ground vehicle was crossing the runway intersection with runway 14. The distance between the aircraft and the vehicle was approximately 800 meters. No persons were injured, and no damage was reported to the aircraft, the vehicle, or third parties. ## Operational Context The Cessna had flown under the instrument landing system for runway 32 through the cloud layer but requested a visual approach to runway 24 due to strong west wind. At 10:54:08 local time, the tower controller issued a landing clearance for runway 24. At 10:54:20, the ground vehicle driver requested a clearance to move from the Foxtrott position via Lima to the old runway 03. The controller issued a clearance at 10:54:28, instructing the driver to stay clear of the runway 24 safety area. The driver acknowledged. ## Ground Vehicle Movement The driver stated that his task was to clean weather measurement devices at various positions on the airport. He had just cleaned a device on the old runway 30 near the runway 14/32 intersection and intended to drive to a device near a taxiway branching east from runway 14/32 in the southern area. The controller stated he assumed the vehicle would turn left from runway 14 onto the former military runway 12/30. The driver stated his intention was to turn left toward the old runway 30 only after passing the runway 24 intersection. ## Conflict and Resolution The ground vehicle proceeded on runway 14 toward the intersection with runway 24. The controller said he noticed the vehicle was about to cross runway 24 when the Cessna was approximately over the runway 24 threshold. He stated that he had expected a different vehicle path without a conflict point. At 10:55:31, the controller instructed the driver to continue quickly. The vehicle crossed runway 24, and the Cessna completed its landing without obstruction. The crew reported seeing the vehicle crossing the runway intersection a few hundred meters away shortly after touchdown. The crew stated the vehicle did not pose a danger because it crossed quickly and the distance remained large. ## Personnel and Aircraft The responsible pilot was 53 years old and held a commercial pilot licence (CPL(A)) issued by the German Federal Aviation Office (LBA) on 17 December 2013, valid until 28 February 2018, with more than 5,973 flight hours. The copilot was 29 years old and held a CPL(A) issued by the LBA on 6 September 2013, valid until 31 July 2018, with 1,219 flight hours. The responsible air traffic controller was 25 years old and held an air traffic controller licence issued by the Federal Aviation Safety Authority (BAF), valid until 13 October 2020. The ground vehicle driver was 53 years old and held a Sylt Airport security pass valid until 22 June 2022. The Cessna 510 is a six-seat, twin-engine business jet. The aircraft was registered in Germany and operated by a German air transport company. It was not equipped with a flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder, which were not required under applicable aviation regulations. ## Meteorological and Airport Information The routine weather report (METAR) for Sylt Airport at 10:50 local time reported surface wind from 240 degrees at 21 knots, ground visibility greater than 10 kilometers, and scattered clouds with a base at 1,800 feet above ground. The sun was approximately 140 degrees in direction and 20 degrees above the horizon at the time of the incident. Sylt Airport (EDXW) has two intersecting paved runways: 14/32, 2,120 meters long and 45 meters wide, and 06/24, 1,696 meters long and 45 meters wide. The control tower is located in the northwest area of the airport. A former military runway 12/30 also exists on the airport. It crosses runway 14/32 in the north and runway 06/24 in the east. It is no longer usable for flight operations and is not continuously drivable by vehicles. ## Airport Features and Procedures The airport has hold position lights that are activated when the control tower is occupied. They are not deactivated when an aircraft or vehicle is cleared to cross. There were no markings or lights at the intersection of the two runways. The weather measurement devices on the airport did not have clear designations. Air traffic operations were governed by the Air Traffic Manual General (BA ATM/G), with supplementary rules in BA-ATM/L – EDXW and an operational agreement between Sylt Airport GmbH and Austro Control GmbH. The tower controller performed both approach and ground control functions. The controller was responsible for observing all visible flight movements, issuing clearances and instructions, and transmitting information necessary for safe and orderly flight operations.