Created Tuesday, Mar 8th 2022 21:44Z, last updated Tuesday, Mar 8th 2022 21:44Z
An Envoy Embraer ERJ-145, registration N655AE performing flight MQ-3660/AA-3660 from Springfield,MO to Chicago O'Hare,IL (USA) with 53 people on board, was cleared for takeoff and was accelerating for takeoff when tower cleared an airport operations vehicle (VAN7) to cross runway 14. When tower handed the Embraer over to departure about a minute after the clearance to VAN7, the flight crew commented: "That was beyond ... y'know that". The aircraft continued to Chicago for a safe landing.
On Jul 24th 2018 the NTSB reported a runway incursion occurred when an operations vehicle (VAN7) crossed runway 14 while the Embraer was in the takeoff run in visual meteorological conditions. There were no injuries and no damage. The occurrence was rated an incident and is being investigated.
On Mar 8th 2022 the NTSB released their final report concluding the probable cause of the incident was:
The local controller failing to follow established facility directives and issuing a clearance for takeoff from a runway not under his control.
The NTSB analysed:
The runway incursion sequence began when the air traffic control (ATC) local controller (LC) cleared (ENY3660) for takeoff from an inactive runway that had been NOTAM’d closed for arrivals to accommodate airfield mowing in the underrun.
Interviews with controllers after the incident revealed SGF runway 14 had been NOTAM’d closed by SGF Airport Operations for arrivals but was available for departures. There were mowers in the underrun of runway 14 in the runway safety area (RSA) that prohibited an overflight by landing air traffic. The NOTAM was published and available to aircrew and air traffic control via the FAA website and covered the period from 1230 UTC to 2100 UTC.
Because runway 14/32 was closed to landing traffic, SGF standard operating procedures permitted the transfer of control for the runway to the ground controller (GC) position to use for runway crossings without the need for coordination with LC. Because GC now had operational control of the runway, the LC was required to request the use of the closed runway from the GC prior to issuing any clearances for takeoff.
The pilot of ENY3660 requested to use runway 14 for a departure, and the GC approved the request and issued taxi instructions to runway 14. While the airplane was taxiing to runway 14, VAN7 requested to cross runway 14 while GC maintained operational control of the runway. Because GC had control of the runway, there was no requirement to coordinate the closed runway vehicle crossing with LC.
When the pilot of ENY3660 called the LC ready for takeoff from runway 14, the LC issued a takeoff clearance without coordinating with GC.
