What happened
On May 31, 2026, a British Aerospace Jetstream Series 3100 aircraft, registered as YV661T, departed from El Gran Roque (SVRS) bound for Maiquetía International Airport (Simón Bolívar International Airport) in the state of Vargas. The flight was conducted under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) at flight level 120 with no reported anomalies during the cruise phase.
Upon reaching Maiquetía, the crew received clearance from Approach Control to perform a VOR DME B approach for runway 28L. As the aircraft descended to 1,000 feet, turbulence caused the captain’s oxygen mask to dislodge from its stowed position. The incident distracted the pilot flying, leading to a loss of situational awareness regarding the active runway.
Although Approach Control and Tower Control had both explicitly instructed the crew to use runway 28L, and the controller later confirmed visual contact with the aircraft on final approach for that specific runway, the captain inadvertently landed on runway 28R, which had been closed for two years. The closure was properly documented via NOTAMs and physical signage. The aircraft touched down safely on the closed runway without damage to the airframe or injuries to the crew and passengers.
The investigation
JIAAC investigators reviewed flight data, cockpit voice recordings, and ATC communications. They verified that both pilots held valid medical certificates and commercial pilot licenses with current instrument and type ratings for the Jetstream 3100. The captain had recently completed his initial qualification as Captain on this aircraft type in March 2026, accumulating only 62 hours of flight time in the model. The first officer had 24 hours in type.
Maintenance records confirmed the aircraft was airworthy, with maintenance performed by OMAC N° 717 Blue Star Services C.A. Investigators also examined the oxygen mask retention mechanism, finding that it could be dislodged if not properly secured, which aligned with the crew’s account of turbulence causing the distraction.
Findings
The primary cause of the incident was inadequate monitoring and cross-checking by the flight crew, resulting in a deviation from situational awareness. The captain’s attention was diverted by the dislodged oxygen mask, leading to an incorrect assumption that they were aligned with runway 28L when they were actually on final for the closed runway 28R.
Contributing factors included:
- Ineffective Crew Resource Management (CRM): Both pilots shared an erroneous mental model of their position and failed to challenge each other’s assumptions.
- ATC Monitoring Failure: The Tower Controller visually identified the aircraft on final for 28L but failed to detect that the aircraft was actually aligned with the closed runway 28R until after landing.
- Procedural Non-compliance: The crew did not adequately verify the active runway against ATC instructions during the critical phase of the approach.
Safety action
No specific safety recommendations were recorded in this initial summary. However, the investigation highlighted the need for reinforced CRM training regarding situational awareness and cross-checking procedures during final approach, particularly for crews with limited experience on the aircraft type.