What happened
On 14 July 2005, a runway incursion occurred at Helsinki-Vantaa airport involving a Finnish Air Force Redigo RG-1 and a Golden Air Flyg Ab Saab 2000. The pilot of the Redigo RG-1, performing a personnel transport flight, had arrived from Kauhava approximately 30 minutes prior to the incident.
After completing flight preparations, the pilot received a VFR clearance to depart via the "Kolis" reporting point. While the initial departure runway assigned was 22R, air traffic control subsequently suggested using runway 1s intersection YF, which the pilot accepted. The clearance included an instruction to execute a left turn after takeoff. However, the pilot instead commenced takeoff from runway 33.
Simultaneously, the Saab 2000 was approaching from the opposite direction for landing on runway 15. The air traffic controller instructed the Redigo RG-1 pilot to perform a right turn and subsequently cleared the approaching airliner for landing. At the moment the Redigo RG-1 began its turn, the Saab 2000 was at an altitude of approximately 700–800 feet and roughly 2.3 NM from the runway 15 threshold.
The investigation
The investigation examined air traffic control recordings, pilot interviews, and the pilot's training records. Investigators reviewed the pilot's recent flight experience on the aircraft type and their familiarity with the Helsinki-Vantaa operating environment. The investigation also looked into the pilot's workload and fatigue levels, noting that the pilot had recently transitioned to a new role, which had increased their overall workload.
Findings
The primary cause of the incident was a mistaken perception of the runway in use for departure. This error was influenced by the pilot's assumption that the flight would require a right turn toward the northeast VFR reporting point, a misconception potentially reinforced by the initial assignment of runway 22R.
Contributing factors included:
- The pilot's relatively low recent experience with the Redigo RG-1 type.
- Limited familiarity with the specific operating procedures at Helsinki-Vantaa airport.
- The pilot's attention being diverted by intensive cockpit preparations prior to flight.
- A potentially reduced state of alertness due to increased workload and fatigue.