What happened
During a period of active snowfall at Borlänge Airport, a Diamond DA 42 NG initiated takeoff from runway 14. Simultaneously, a snow removal vehicle was operating on the same runway, traveling in the opposite direction and positioned approximately halfway down the strip. The aircraft passed over the vehicle at an altitude of roughly 60 meters. At the time of the event, the airport's air traffic control (ATC) service was closed, and three separate snow removal vehicles were performing maintenance on the maneuvering area.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the lack of coordination between ground operations and flight crews during non-ATC hours. It was established that the flight crew and the vehicle operators lacked an effective communication method to coordinate movements. This breakdown in communication led to a significant loss of situational awareness, causing both the pilots and the ground drivers to misinterpret each other's intentions and positions on the runway.
Findings
Several critical factors contributed to this serious incident:
- The airport operator failed to implement adequate safety risk management for conducting snow removal operations in the maneuvering area while aircraft movements were occurring during ATC closures.
- The flight crew failed to verify that the runway was clear prior to commencing the takeoff.
- A lack of standardized communication protocols between aircraft and ground vehicles prevented the identification of the runway conflict.
Safety action
Following the investigation, safety recommendations were issued to improve coordination:
- AB Dalaflyget is advised to establish documented procedures for coordinating aircraft and ground vehicle movements in the maneuvering area, specifically for periods when ATC services are unavailable.
- The Swedish Transport Agency is recommended to audit approved airports to ensure that procedures for managing ground vehicle and aircraft coordination are clearly defined during ATC closures.