What happened
On December 19, 2007, a Cessna Citation C501, registration EC-INJ, operated by Clipper National Air, was performing a commercial passenger flight from Valencia to Burgos. The aircraft, carrying two crew members and seven passengers, was on final approach to Runway 24 at Burgos Airport (LEBG). During the approach, the crew utilized GPS for navigation and relied on the most recent METAR for wind information.
Instead of landing on the active Runway 2 and 24, the aircraft landed on a recently paved runway under construction, intended for future service as Runway 22. This closed runway was marked with three large white plastic vanes held in place by concrete blocks. As the aircraft touched down and began its landing roll, the nose gear and subsequently the left main gear struck one of the concrete blocks. The impact caused the left main gear tire to burst and the nose gear to detach from the aircraft. The crew managed to maintain control using differential braking until the aircraft came to a stop on the left margin of the runway. All nine occupants escaped the aircraft without injury.
The investigation
The investigation examined the approach procedures, the adequacy of the runway markings, and the airport's communication of construction activities. Investigators found that the crew did not follow the visual approach charts specified in the AIP, failing to reach the required notification point. Furthermore, the investigation noted that the aircraft was not equipped with a Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) or Flight Data Recorder (FDR).
Regarding the airfield, the investigation revealed that the construction project did not include specific instructions for marking the runway before its official commissioning. While the white plastic vanes used were of the correct type and dimensions according to ICAO standards, the spacing between them was insufficient. The markers were placed at the beginning, middle, and end of the paved surface, failing to meet the maximum 300-meter interval requirement specified in ICAO Annex 14.
Findings
- The crew performed an approach that did not adhere to the published AIP procedures or the operator's standard operating procedures.
- The crew failed to maintain adequate monitoring of heading instruments during the final phase of the approach.
- The aircraft landed on a runway that lacked standard threshold and runway designation markings.
- The insufficient frequency of runway closure markers contributed to the crew's failure to recognize that the runway was closed to traffic.
- There was no NOTAM issued regarding the ongoing construction works at the airport at the time of the incident.