What happened
On October 6, 2024, at approximately 12:50 local time, two flight training aircraft, a Textron 150L (registration TF-TWO) and a Diamond DA-20-C1 (registration TF-FGC), experienced a near-collision while operating in the traffic pattern for runway 01 at Reykjavík Airport (BIRK). Both aircraft were conducting instructional flights with a student pilot at the controls and an instructor on board.
At the time of the incident, the tower frequency was experiencing high workload, measured at 87% between 12:44 and 12:50. The Textron 150L was ahead in the pattern and had been cleared to land. The instructor in TF-TWO had extended the downwind leg to follow an ATR-72 (F-OMYN) that was first in sequence. Meanwhile, the Diamond DA-20-C1 was maneuvering from the crosswind leg toward the final approach.
At 12:50:57, the flight paths of the two aircraft intersected at an altitude of 400 feet over Kópavogur, south of Kársnes. One second after the paths crossed, the air traffic controller notified the crew of TF-FGC that they were too close to other traffic. The student pilot in TF-TWO immediately declared an intention to execute a go-around.
The investigation
The RNSA examined the flight paths, radio communications, and environmental conditions. The investigation noted that the sun was low on the horizon (20 degrees) and positioned such that the crew of TF-FGC was flying directly into the sun, which, combined with light reflections off the sea, significantly obscured their view of TF-TWO.
Investigators also reviewed the tower's workload and the sequence of communications. The controller was managing multiple simultaneous tasks, including coordinating with two helicopters (EHR60 and EHR52) and an ATR-72, which delayed the notification to the crew of TF-FGC until approximately 30 seconds after they had turned onto the crosswind leg.
Findings
- The crew of TF-FGC failed to maintain adequate visual separation and did not sufficiently monitor tower communications, particularly as the instructor was likely distracted by the difficulty of seeing through the sun glare.
- The air traffic controller's attention was divided due to high traffic density and multiple simultaneous communications with various aircraft and ground vehicles.
- The high frequency of traffic on the tower frequency contributed to the lack of timely separation information being received by the flight crews.
- The current Class D airspace designation for Reykjavík Airport may no longer be sufficient given the volume and variety of traffic, as Class D does not require controllers to provide information regarding other VFR aircraft to VFR traffic.