Merrill Field: Runway Incursions

Serious incursions (Category A and B)

• 2021-03-01 · Merrill Field · PA32 · RY 25 · Category B

  (EVENT 2 OF 2) ATC ALLOWED N993AK TO LAND ON RUNWAY 7 WITH A PEDESTRIAN IN THE RSA. ATC OBSERVED A PEDESTRIAN ON THE NORTH SIDE OF RUNWAY 7 AND TAXIWAY CHARLIE. THE PEDESTRIAN WAS NEXT TO THE VISUAL APPROACH SLOPE INDICATOR (VASI) INSIDE THE RUNWAY 7 RSA. THE LOCAL CONTROLLER ADVISED N993AK/BE99 OF THE PEDESTRIAN IN THE RSA. THE PILOT REPORTED THE PEDESTRIAN IN SIGHT. THE LOCAL CONTROLLER ALLOWED N993AK/BE99 TO LAND ON RUNWAY 7 WHILE THE PEDESTRIAN WAS IN THE RSA. CLOSEST PROXIMITY WAS 124 FEET LATERAL. AIRPORT POLICE APPREHENDED THE PEDESTRIAN AND ESCORTED THEM OFF THE AIRPORT MOVEMENT AREA.

• 2014-10-29 · Merrill Field · TF19 / C152 · RWY 25 · Category B

  TF19 WAS HOLDING SHORT OF RUNWAY 25 AT MRI AND IN ERROR CALLED LHD FOR DEPARTURE. LHD LOCAL CONTROL (LC) CLEARED TF19 FOR TAKEOFF RUNWAY 32 WITHOUT DELAY. TF19 ACKNOWLEDGED THE INSTRUCTIONS AND TAXIED ONTO RUNWAY 25. LHD LC DID NOT OBSERVE TF19 ENTER THE RUNWAY AND INSTRUCTED TF19 TO CANCEL TAKEOFF CLEARANCE AND HOLD SHORT OF RUNWAY 32. TF19 ACKNOWLEDGED THE TAKEOFF CANCELLATION WHILE HOLDING IN POSITION ON RUNWAY 25 AT MRI. C152 WAS ON A HALF MILE FINAL TO RUNWAY 25 AND OBSERVED TF19 HOLDING ON THE RUNWAY. MRI TOWER INSTRUCTED C152 TO GO AROUND AS IT CROSSED THE THRESHOLD. C152 HAD ALREADY INITIATED A GO AROUND AND OFFSET TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. MRAI CONTROLLERS ESTIMATED AIRCRAFT WERE 25-50 FEET APART AT THE TIME OF THE GO AROUND. LHD LC FREQUENCY IS 126.8 AND MRI LC FREQUENCY IS 126.0. LHD LC REQUESTED VERIFICATION THAT THE TF19 WAS AT LHD. TF19 RESPONDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE SO LHD CLEARED THE TF19 FOR TAKEOFF RUNWAY 32. MRI LC OBSERVED THE TF19 ENTER THE RUNWAY WITHOUT A CLEARANCE AND INSTRUCTED THE AIRCRAFT TO EXIT THE RUNWAY. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. MRI LC OBSERVED THE TF19 SIT ON THE RUNWAY FOR 90 SECONDS THEN DEPART WITHOUT A CLEARANCE.

• 2013-04-27 · Merrill Field · PA32 / PA18 · RWY 7 · Category A

  PA32 WAS TAXIING TO RUNWAY 7 VIA TAXIWAY NOVEMBER FOR AN INTERSECTION DEPARTURE AT TAXIWAY CHARLIE. GROUND CONTROL (GC) HAD CONTROL OF RUNWAY 7 FROM TAXIWAY CHARLIE EASTWARD BECAUSE THE AIRPORT WAS IN A NORTH FLOW OPERATION DUE TO STRONG WINDS, AND UTILIZED RUNWAY 34 FOR DEPARTURES AND ARRIVALS. GC RETURNED CONTROL OF RUNWAY 7 BACK TO LOCAL CONTROL (LC) AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER, PA18 CALLED GC REQUESTING TAXI CLEARANCE TO RUNWAY 34. GC ISSUED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO THE PA18 FROM THE NORTHEAST END OF THE AIRFIELD TO CROSS RUNWAY 7 AT TAXIWAY KILO, WITHOUT COORDINATING OR APPROVAL FROM LC. APPROXIMATELY FOUR SECONDS LATER, LC CLEARED THE PA32 FOR TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 7 UNAWARE OF THE PA18 CROSSING THE RUNWAY AT THE DEPARTURE END. A LOSS OF SEPARATION OCCURRED WHEN THE PA32 COMMENCED DEPARTURE AND SUBSEQUENTLY OVERFLEW THE PA18. THE FACILITY ESTIMATED THE VERTICAL DISTANCE OF THE PA32 AS IT PASSED OVER THE PA18 TO BE 30 TO 100 FEET.

• 2001-12-23 · Merrill Field · C207 / C185 · RWY 6 · Category B