Crew lapse likely caused Goa airport runway incursion, says AAIB
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau identified communication misinterpretation as a probable cause for the April incident involving an Air India Express flight.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) stated that an Air India Express flight crew's failure to follow air traffic controller instructions and communication misinterpretation likely caused a runway incursion at Dabolim airport in Goa on April 3.
The incident involved an Air India Express Boeing 737-8 aircraft operating flight AXB 1109 from Dabolim to Delhi and a Navy single pilot fighter jet. There were 171 people on board the flight and no injuries were reported.
The AAIB report said the crew did not fully adhere to Surface Movement Control (SMC) controller instructions to hold at the holding point. The agency noted that the pilot misinterpreted an 'Expect back track' call as 'enter backtrack clearance'.
The probe also cited the Pilot Monitoring, who was a trainee, as a contributory factor. The AAIB said the trainee was overly-reliant on the instructor and was busy with tasks, failing to monitor radiotelephony calls or caution the Pilot Flying.
The AAIB recommended that Air India Express sensitise crew regarding the lapses and suggested the AXB 1109 crew undergo counselling. The Pilot in Command should also receive training on safety lapses.
The agency also suggested that the Airports Authority of India issue a circular to sensitise controllers on using standard phraseology. It recommended that Dabolim airport's taxiway TWY N2 be considered a hotspot due to collision risks.