What happened
On 01 October 2013, a student pilot operating a Piper PA-28-161, registration ZS-NLM, was conducting a training flight at Rand Aerodrome. While taxiing toward the holding point for Runway 11, the pilot was instructed to listen out for departures. Simultaneously, an Embraer EMB-500 was being cleared for departure from Runway 29.
As the Embraer began its takeoff roll on Runway 29, the pilot of the Piper PA-28-161 entered Runway 11. Upon realizing that the other aircraft was already in motion, the pilot applied the brakes, stopping the aircraft with the nose protruding onto the runway. The crew of the Embraer observed the incursion while climbing through approximately 200 feet. There were no injuries and no damage to either aircraft.
The investigation
SACAA AIID examined the sequence of events and the communications between the air traffic controller (ATC) and the aircraft. The investigation established that the student pilot was taxiing via Runway 35 and was instructed to hold at the Runway 11 holding point while listening for departures.
Investigators found that the ATC officer was managing a shift handover at the time of the incident. While the controller maintained good situational awareness by querying the aircraft's position, the investigation noted that the decision to prioritize the Embraer's departure did not explicitly inform the student pilot of the simultaneous use of Runway 29.
Findings
- The primary cause was the student pilot misinterpreting the takeoff clearance issued to the Embraer as his own.
- The student pilot failed to monitor the radio frequency to hear the instructions provided to the other aircraft.
- The student pilot had not been adequately briefed regarding the use of two active runways.
- The ATC officer did not specifically notify the student pilot of the departure sequence or the use of the parallel runway.
- The controller's attention was partially diverted by an ongoing shift handover.