B738 / CRJ1, New York La Guardia USA, 2007
B738 / CRJ1, New York La Guardia USA, 2007
Summary
On 5 July 2007, in daylight and good visibility, a Comair CRJ100 on an outbound scheduled service flight was cleared by a GND Controller to taxi across active runway 22 on which a Delta AL Boeing 737-800 also operating a scheduled service flight had already been cleared to land by the (TWR) local controller. The crossing to be made did not allow the CRJ100 crew to see up the runway towards the landing threshold until they had almost completed the crossing. When they did see the by then landed B738 coming towards them, they immediately increased thrust on the single operating engine to accelerate clear.
Event Details
When
05/07/2007
Day/Night
Day
Flight Conditions
On Ground - Normal Visibility
Flight Details
Aircraft
Operator
Type of Flight
Private
Flight Origin
Intended Destination
Take-off Commenced
Yes
Flight Airborne
Yes
Flight Completed
Yes
Phase of Flight
Landing
Flight Details
Aircraft
Operator
Type of Flight
Private
Flight Origin
Take-off Commenced
Yes
Flight Airborne
Yes
Flight Completed
Yes
Phase of Flight
Taxi
Location
Location - Airport
Airport
General
Tag(s)
Aircraft-aircraft near miss,
ATC Training
HF
Tag(s)
ATC clearance error,
ATC Unit Co-ordination,
Ineffective Monitoring
RI
Tag(s)
ATC error,
Incursion after Landing,
Runway Crossing,
Near Miss
Outcome
Damage or injury
Yes
Aircraft damage
None
Non-aircraft damage
Yes
Non-occupant Casualties
No
Occupant Injuries
None
Occupant Fatalities
None
Off Airport Landing
Yes
Ditching
Yes
Causal Factor Group(s)
Group(s)
Air Traffic Management
Safety Recommendation(s)
Group(s)
None Made
Investigation Type
Type
Independent
Description
On 5 July 2007, in daylight and good visibility, a Comair CRJ100 on an outbound scheduled service flight was cleared by a GND Controller to taxi across active runway 22 on which a Delta AL Boeing 737-800 also operating a scheduled service flight had already been cleared to land by the (TWR) local controller. The crossing to be made did not allow the CRJ100 crew to see up the runway towards the landing threshold until they had almost completed the crossing. When they did see the by then landed B738 coming towards them, they immediately increased thrust on the single operating engine to accelerate clear.
The Investigation
An Investigation was carried out by the National Transportation Safety Board (USA) (NTSB). Their Investigation found that the minimum separation recorded between the two aircraft had been 600 feet and that the B738 had crossed the runway threshold some 6 seconds before the CRJ 100 entered the same runway to begin the crossing.
It also established that the Ground Controller involved had been under training with a qualified ground controller and had been authorised by the (TWR) local controller “via a conditional clearance, to taxi another aircraft across runway 22 after the aircraft in front of (the Delta B738) had passed taxiway F (the crossing taxiway being used by the Comair CRJ100) on the landing rollout. The (TWR) local controller then coordinated with the TWR Supervisor for the aircraft following the (Delta B738 to be removed from) the landing sequence because of insufficient separation. The ground controller mistakenly believed that (it was the Delta B738 which) was being taken out of the landing sequence and authorised (the CRJ100) to cross runway 22 without coordinating with the TWR local controller as required.”
Related Articles
- Runway Incursion
- Runway Incursion (OGHFA SE)
- Flight Operations Risk Assessment Checklist - Active Runway Crossing
Further Reading
- The full Investigation Report
