Incident Overview
On 7 January 2016, a serious incident occurred at Gran Canaria Airport (GCLP) involving a Boeing 737-700, registration D-ABLB, operated by Germania Fluggesellschaft mbH, on flight GMI6129. The aircraft was preparing to depart to Friedrichshafen Airport in Germany with 2 flight crew, 3 cabin attendants, and 135 passengers on board. No injuries were reported.
Aircraft and Crew Information
The aircraft was a Boeing 737-700, registration D-ABLB. The flight crew consisted of a captain and a first officer, both holding valid licenses. The air traffic control (ATC) personnel included local controllers and a supervisor at the GCLP tower.
Sequence of Events
The local controller (LCL) cleared GMI6129 to cross runway 03L and line up and wait on runway 03R. The crew reported that the red lights on the stop bar at S4 were illuminated. The controller again cleared the aircraft to line up and wait, and subsequently issued a takeoff clearance. At that time, surveying work was being conducted on runway 03R/21L, and a vehicle was present on the runway strip. As GMI6129 began its takeoff run, the controller instructed the crew to cancel the takeoff. The crew complied and the aircraft returned to the apron.
Investigation Findings
The investigation by the Spanish Civil Aviation Accident and Incident Investigation Commission (CIAIAC) determined that the controller lost situational awareness, mistakenly clearing the aircraft to enter and take off from a runway known to be closed. The controller's attention was focused on a previous aircraft that had taken off and on coordinating a complex helicopter recovery procedure. The controller did not notice visual indicators in the tower showing the runway was closed and did not visually detect the vehicle on the runway strip, possibly because the vehicle's flashing lights were not activated according to witness accounts. The crew only partially heard a report from the crew about the active stop bar but did not ask for repetition. The crew crossed the illuminated stop bar without requesting its deactivation or having information on contingency measures.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
The most probable cause of the incident was the controller's loss of situational awareness, leading to the erroneous clearance to enter and take off from the closed runway. Contributing factors included the controller's failure to notice runway closure visual aids and the vehicle; the controller's incomplete perception of the crew's report about the stop bar; the crew's crossing of an active stop bar without requesting deactivation, partly due to unclear regulations on stop bars; and the crew starting the takeoff run despite visual contact with the vehicle.