What happened
On the morning of October 8, 2001, a Cessna 525A CitationJet 2, registration D-IEVX, arrived at Milan-Linate from Cologne. The aircraft was scheduled for a subsequent flight to Paris-Le Bourleget with four occupants on board. During the same period, an SAS MD-87 was preparing for departure to Copenhagen carrying 104 passengers.
Under conditions of heavy fog, the crew of the Cessna 525A received taxi instructions. While navigating the airfield, the pilot mistakenly turned onto taxiway R6. During this movement, the MD-87 was cleared for takeoff on runway 36R. As the MD-87 accelerated down the runway, the Cessna 525A crossed the holding point and entered the active runway.
The collision occurred as the MD-87 was rotating. The impact caused significant damage to the right wing, landing gear, and the number two engine of the larger aircraft. Although the MD-87 managed to briefly remain airborne, the loss of engine power and structural damage led to a forced descent. The aircraft struck the runway and subsequently slid into a baggage handling building, causing a partial collapse of the structure. There were 0 fatalities reported in the immediate collision, though the accident caused extensive damage.
Findings
Investigations revealed that the primary cause was the runway incursion by the Cessna crew. Several contributing factors were identified:
- Extremely low visibility, with sightlines between 50 and 100 meters.
- The pilot of the Cessna 525A utilized an incorrect taxi route due to confusing or non-standard airfield markings.
- Inadequate visual aids and the absence of certain taxiway signs at the airport.
- Communication issues resulting from the use of both Italian and English, alongside a lack of standardized phraseology.
- Air traffic controllers were unaware that the Cessna 525A had entered an unauthorized taxiway due to ambiguous position reports.
- Systemic failures in airport safety management and non-compliance with international standards regarding airfield lighting and markings.