What happened
On October 14, 2024, Saudi Arabian Airlines flight SVA-724, operated by a Boeing 777-368(ER) aircraft with registration HZ-AK21, arrived at Islamabad International Airport (OPIS) from Riyadh. The aircraft was cleared for an ILS Z Approach to Runway 10R. However, the crew misinterpreted the clearance and landed on the adjacent Runway 10L. There were no injuries to the 417 people on board or on the ground, and the aircraft sustained no damage.
The investigation
BASIP found that the flight crew failed to read back the specific runway designation (Right) during multiple clearances. Controllers accepted incomplete read-backs without challenging them. Additionally, the Approach Controller did not monitor the aircraft's final approach path closely enough to detect the misalignment early. The Tower Controller visually observed the error but hesitated to issue a go-around clearance.
Findings
The primary cause was the flight crew's incorrect interpretation of ATC instructions and insufficient adherence to clearances. Contributing factors included inadequate Crew Resource Management (CRM) cross-checking by the pilots, failure by air traffic controllers to challenge ambiguous read-backs, and a lack of proactive intervention by the Tower Controller despite visual confirmation of the wrong runway alignment.
Safety action
Saudi Arabian Airlines is required to implement training on ATC clearance interpretation and CRM. Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) must mandate controller training to challenge incomplete read-backs, establish independent supervisory positions in ATC units, and enhance monitoring systems for runway alignment.