What happened
On April 21, 2013, a runway incursion occurred on runway 08 R at Leipzig/Halle Airport involving a Boeing 777-F freighter and a Cessna 172N light aircraft. The incident began during the departure phase of both aircraft. The crew of the Boeing 777-F had requested departure for an IFR flight to Bergamo, Italy, and received taxi clearance to the runway. Shortly thereafter, the pilot of the Cessna 172N requested departure for a VFR flight to Schönhagen.
At 16:47:27, the air traffic controller issued takeoff clearance to the Boeing 777-F. At the exact moment the Boeing crew acknowledged the clearance, the pilot of the Cessna 172N also transmitted a response. This simultaneous transmission resulted in a frequency overlap, where only the Boeing's response was clearly audible, though the Cessna pilot's voice was partially heard at the end of the transmission.
Following the clearance, both aircraft began moving. The Boeing 777-F commenced its takeoff roll from the departure point, while the Cessna 172N taxied from taxiway H5 onto the runway. The crew of the Boeing 777-F noticed the Cessna 172N approaching the runway when the freighter had reached approximately 80 knots. As the freighter reached 100 knots, the Cessuna 172N had entered the runway. The Boeing crew immediately reduced thrust to idle and initiated a manual braking maneuver. Radar data confirmed that the minimum separation between the two aircraft was 789 meters. The controller subsequently instructed the Boeing 777-F to abort the takeoff, and the pilot of the Cessna 172N was also ordered to stop. There were no fatalities and no injuries.
The investigation
The BFU investigation examined cockpit voice recordings, flight data from the Boeing 777-F flight data recorder (FDR), and ground radar data from the air traffic service provider. The investigation also reviewed radio communications and pilot statements regarding the sequence of events and the perception of clearances.