Factual Information
On 9 April 2019, a serious incident involving an L-410 UVP-E20 aircraft, registration 2601, occurred at Přerov Airport (LKPO). The aircraft was operated by the Army of the Czech Republic. The flight was planned from Kbely Airport (LKKB) to Přerov and back. The crew consisted of a captain, first officer, and flight engineer, all holding valid licenses.
Sequence of Events
The aircraft departed LKKB at 05:55 UTC on a VFR flight to LKPO. After contacting FIC Prague, the crew proceeded via waypoints BODAL, LKVY, and LKPO at 1000 ft AGL. Upon switching to Přerov RADIO frequency, the crew was initially instructed to enter a left-hand circuit for runway 24. Shortly after, the RADIO dispatcher informed the crew that the airport was closed due to NOTAMs Y0543/19 (RWY 05/23) and Y0542/19 (RWY 06/24).
During the communication, a third party—an ÚCL employee conducting a UAV inspection and equipped with a handheld radio—intervened. The employee stated that landing was only possible on runway 23, as runway 24 was unusable due to construction work on the PAPI lights. Based on this information, the captain decided to land on the grass runway 23 at 07:02 UTC.
After landing, the crew taxied to the middle stand, where a bus was waiting to transport passengers to Prostějov. The crew later met with the RADIO dispatcher, who expressed surprise that the aircraft had landed at a closed airport. The dispatcher noted that while the airport was administratively closed, the landing and takeoff were factually possible. The aircraft departed LKPO at 11:55 UTC.
Additional Details
The runway 23 was not marked as closed with ground signals. The aircraft's landing weight exceeded the declared load-bearing capacity of runway 23. No injuries, damage, or other losses were reported. The RADIO dispatcher was a 46-year-old male with a valid PPL/A license and radio operator certificate. The ÚCL employee was a 41-year-old male with valid radio operator and UAV operation permits.
Findings
The investigation concluded that the crew landed on a closed runway after receiving conflicting information. No probable cause was explicitly stated in the final report.