What happened
On the evening of January 29, 2025, two commercial passenger flights were involved in a serious incident at Saint-Barthélemy airport. The first aircraft, a De Havilland DHC-6 registered PJ-WIX operated by Winair, was on final approach for runway 28. Preceding it was a Pilatus PC12 registered N590TW operated by Tradewind Aviation, which had landed moments earlier.
After landing, the crew of N590TW found their usual exit via taxiway "A" blocked by another aircraft. Consequently, the crew performed a U-turn on the runway to backtrack toward taxiway "B" to vacate. During this maneuver, the crew of PJ-WIX was on short final. Although the AFIS officer issued warnings regarding traffic on the runway, the PJ-WIX crew had already passed the EDEN ROCK decision point, beyond which a missed approach was no longer possible due to terrain constraints. The PJ-WIX aircraft subsequently landed while the N590TW was still occupying the runway.
The investigation
The investigation examined flight data, radar/ADS-B information, security camera footage, and crew statements. Investigators analyzed the environmental conditions, noting that the sun's position and terrain shadows at the end of the runway likely obscured the view of the runway surface for the approaching crew. The investigation also reviewed the limitations of the AFIS service, specifically the lack of traffic regulation and the limited prerogatives of the AFIS officer regarding directing aircraft or ordering missed approaches.
Findings
Several factors contributed to the runway incursion:
- The crew of the following aircraft maintained insufficient separation from the preceding aircraft, leaving no safety margin during the approach.
- The presence of a decision point (EDEN ROCK) beyond which a missed approach is impossible, combined with a lack of specific operator procedures for such scenarios, forced the continuation of the landing.
- Poor situational awareness between both crews, exacerbated by an insufficient flow of information.
- The limited authority of the AFIS officer to manage traffic or intervene in the sequence.
- Environmental factors, including sun glare and shadows, which hindered visual identification of the runway occupancy.