Incident Overview
On 10 January 2018 at approximately 16:15 UTC, a serious incident occurred at Zurich Airport (LSZH) involving a firefighting vehicle and a departing commercial aircraft. The incident took place near the intersection of runways 16 and 28.
Sequence of Events
An Airbus A319 operated by easyJet had departed from runway 28 at 15:17 UTC but returned after the crew heard a noise and a bang from the landing gear area, suspecting a tire defect. Air traffic control alerted the fire brigade, which responded with the “Basis” unit, including the firefighting vehicle “Florian 223”. After the A319 landed on runway 16 at 16:10 UTC and stopped, the fire vehicles positioned near the aircraft. The vehicle officer of Florian 223, wearing breathing apparatus, inspected the landing gear with colleagues. Nothing abnormal was found, and the incident commander ordered a return to base via taxiway Romeo 7.
The vehicle officer and driver decided to drive around the right side of the A319, then turn around to exit. As the driver moved forward, the officer removed his breathing equipment and mentioned that colleagues from another station typically used taxiway Echo 5. The driver, confused by this mention, continued straight towards the intersecting runway 28 instead of turning. He later stated he looked for red runway edge lights but did not see them. The vehicle was about 5 meters from the eastern edge of runway 16.
Meanwhile, an Airbus A320 with call sign EDW 404 had received takeoff clearance on runway 28 at 16:14:08 UTC and began its takeoff roll at 16:14:26. At 16:14:48, the ground radar collision warning system (SAMAX) in the control tower alerted, with both targets flashing red on the radar screen. The controller immediately transmitted a warning for the fire vehicle to stay away from runway 28 at 16:14:50. Simultaneously, the vehicle officer shouted “stop” to the driver. Florian 223 came to an abrupt halt at 16:14:56, just before the safety area of runway 28. At that time, the other fire vehicle had already turned around on the runway behind the A319, and the airport manager vehicle (Gusti 1) was positioned at the western edge of runway 16.
At 16:14:59, the A320 lifted off and passed over the runway intersection at an altitude of approximately 10 meters above ground. The flight crew of EDW 404 did not see the firefighting vehicle. After a six-second stop, Florian 223 reversed, slightly entering the runway 28 safety area during the turn, and then drove south on runway 16 to exit via taxiway Romeo 7.
Personnel Involved
The driver of Florian 223 was a Swiss national born in 1984, holding the rank of soldier. He had limited experience on the runway system and reported few prior runway operations. The vehicle officer was a Swiss national born in 1978, holding the rank of officer, and had extensive experience on the runway system. Both were reported to be fit for duty, with no indications of fatigue. The air traffic controller on duty was a Swiss national born in 1975, with a valid license.
Investigation
The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB) became aware of the incident on 12 January 2018 via an occurrence report from the air navigation service provider, as it had not been reported through official channels. The investigation opened the same day.