What happened
On February 27, 2008, a Cessna Citation 560XL, registration OO-AIE, was performing a charter flight approach to runway 22 at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. During the landing phase, maintenance technicians and an escort were performing light replacement tasks on the approach lighting system. As the aircraft touched down, the escort noticed the approaching plane and directed the technicians to move away from the runway threshold. The aircraft landed without incident, and no injuries or damage to the aircraft were reported.
The investigation
The investigation by the Dutch Safety Board (OVV) revealed that the maintenance work was scheduled to replace lamps in the approach lighting. While the Airside Operations Manager (AOM) had authorized the work, there was a critical discrepancy regarding the exact location. The AOM believed the work would take place outside the runway strip, a belief based on verbal information from a maintenance worker that did not match the actual work site.
Investigators found that the technicians were working approximately 30 meters from the runway threshold. While the crew believed they were adhering to instructions to stay "clear of the runway," their presence within the 60-meter safety zone of the runway strip constituted a runway incursion. The investigation also highlighted that the air traffic control tower could not visually monitor the threshold from its distance, and the personnel involved relied on different, unwritten safety margins regarding separation distances.