What happened
On October 31, 2018, at 07:48 UTC, a Tecnam P2002-JF, registration EC-MQY, operating a flight instruction mission for Canavia, was cleared for takeoff from runway 03L at Gran Canaria Airport. At the time of the takeoff clearance, a maintenance vehicle was actively performing a lighting inspection on the same runway. The vehicle had been authorized to enter the runway via taxiway S7 at 07:42:19 UTC.
During the takeoff roll, the pilot observed the vehicle on the runway. However, the crew decided to continue the takeoff, noting that the vehicle was at a sufficient distance to avoid a collision. Once airborne, the pilot notified the tower that a vehicle was crossing the runway. Upon hearing the aircraft's radio transmission, the maintenance crew immediately moved the vehicle to the side of the runway to clear the path. No injuries or damage to the aircraft or vehicle were reported.
The investigation
The CIAIAC investigation examined the communications between the tower, the maintenance crew, and the aircraft, as well as the controller's adherence to established safety protocols. The investigation found that while the controller had used physical markers (flags) on the anemometer and bay to indicate the runway was out of service, several safety barriers failed.
Specifically, the controller failed to activate the stop bars at the runway access points. Furthermore, although the controller performed a visual scan, the maintenance vehicle was not detected, a failure that may have been exacerbated by the sun's position. The investigation also noted that the takeoff clearance was issued in English, which was not the primary language for the maintenance personnel, potentially hindering their understanding of the ongoing operations.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the controller's failure to adhere to established operational procedures, which bypassed multiple safety barriers.
- The controller neglected to activate the stop bars for the runway access points during the maintenance inspection.
- The takeoff authorization was issued in English, which may have contributed to a lack of situational awareness for the maintenance crew.
- The controller failed to detect the vehicle during the visual runway inspection, possibly due to solar glare.
- The maintenance crew did not communicate with the tower during the five-minute interval between the vehicle's entry and the aircraft's takeoff clearance.