On 3 June 2022, an Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Service utility vehicle inadvertently entered an active runway at night when intending to drive along its parallel taxiway after becoming confused about the routing. On reaching the clearly identified runway holding point but requesting permission to access the intended taxiway, the controller turned off the illuminated stop bar, and the vehicle was briefly driven onto the runway before the driver realised the error and made a U-turn to exit. The incursion activated visual and aural warnings, but these were both missed by the controller and their supervisor.
Description
On 3 June 2022, a utility vehicle being operated by the Airport RFFS failed to follow its planned route when transiting from one airside fire station to another in normal night visibility. The vehicle had become lost and misreported its position when it checked in with controllers. The vehicle driver was then advised that the stop bar lights had been turned off, and the vehicle entered an active runway from which an aircraft was about to depart. The crew of that aircraft alerted the runway controller to the incursion, and the vehicle eventually regained its planned route and reached its intended destination.
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