What happened
On 28 April 2015, at approximately 06:58 local time, a runway incursion occurred at Barcelona-El Prat Airport involving an Airbus 321-212, registration F-GTAZ, operated by Air France, and a Boeing 737-400, registration OE-IAP, operated by TNT Airways.
At 06:45, the Air France flight, operating as AFR1449, began taxiing from parking stand 221 toward runway 25L. During the taxi, the central ground controller cleared the aircraft to cross runway 02. At the time, the airport was still operating under its nighttime configuration, which utilizes runway 02 for landings.
One minute prior to the incident, the TNT Airways Boeing 737-400 had been cleared to land on runway 02 and was on its final approach. As the Airbus 321 reached the intersection of taxiway D and runway 02, the crew observed that the stop bar lights were energized. The crew contacted air traffic control to confirm their clearance to cross. The controller initially instructed the aircraft to hold its position, but the Boeing 7 and the Airbus 321 passed in close proximity as the TNT Airways aircraft landed normally, passing in front of the taxiing Air France jet.
The investigation
The CIAIAC investigation focused on the operational complexities of Barcelona-El Prat, which must switch runway configurations daily at 07:00 and 23:00 to manage noise pollution. This transition period creates high-risk scenarios as aircraft must cross active runways to reach new departure thresholds.
The investigation examined the controller's actions and the use of the Generic Error Modeling System (GEMS) to analyze human factors. It was noted that the controller's instruction to cross the runway was a result of a mental lapse. The investigation also reviewed the role of the Supervisor, who noted unusual aircraft movements but did not intervene to verify the instructions provided to the taxiing crew.
Findings
- The incident was caused by an oversight by the central ground controller, who cleared the Airbus 321 to cross the runway while the Boeing 737 was on final approach.
- The airport was in the process of transitioning from its nighttime to daytime configuration, a period of increased operational complexity.
- The stop bar lighting system functioned correctly, and the crew of the F-GTAZ acted with sufficient vigilance to prevent a collision.
- High-density traffic and the necessity of crossing runways during configuration changes place significant stress on air traffic controllers.