APRIL 28, 2015
EDMONTON, ALBERTA
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) today
released its investigation report (A14W0046) into the 29 March 2014 runway
incursion at the Calgary International Airport, in Alberta. There were no
injuries, damage to aircraft or airport property.
On 29 March 2014, during the hours of darkness, an Air
Georgian Beech 1900D turboprop aircraft was being taxied to a holding bay
adjacent to runway 29 by company aircraft maintenance staff to perform engine
performance checks. An air traffic controller issued instructions for taxiing
north from the company facility to the holding bay. The maintenance staff
mistakenly taxied the aircraft to an area southwest of the maintenance facility.
A runway incursion occurred when the aircraft entered the south end of an
active runway (Runway 17R). A departing Boeing 737 was already airborne when
the Beech 1900D entered the runway.
The investigation found that the training received by the
Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) was inadequate for the operation of an
aircraft at a large airport at night. This resulted in the AME not correctly
following the taxi instruction, resulting in the runway incursion. The
investigation also found that the ground controller did not assign a
transponder code as per air traffic control procedures.
A transponder code
allows aircraft to be positively identified on the ground radar display, giving
the controller on duty situational awareness of where the aircraft is taxiing.
Additionally, the investigation revealed that the airport does not require
positive control over vehicles operating on a taxiway, except during
reduced/low visibility operations. This, combined with the unidentified target
seen on the ground radar display as a result of the lack of a transponder code,
led to the controller making an incorrect assumption that this aircraft was a
vehicle operating south of the company facility.
Following the occurrence, the Calgary Airport Authority
required AMEs to be trained for and to hold airside vehicle operator permits
allowing them to tow and taxi aircraft around the airport. All vehicles
operating on a taxiway now require transponders so that air traffic control can
identify them. Air Georgian revised its procedures for taxiing and towing
aircraft around airports and improved training for its maintenance staff.
This issue has been identified as one of the key risks to
the transportation system and it is included on the TSB's 2014 Watchlist.
Improved procedures and enhanced collision warning systems must be implemented
at Canada's airports.