Radio problems are to blame for a small plane finding itself facing an airport vehicle heading its way as it landed in Trail in December 2018, the Transportation Safety Board said March 5.
The Pacific Coastal Airlines plane had departed from Vancouver for the 75-minute flight and touched down before the airport vehicle left the runway, the board said. The vehicle pulled onto a taxiway, avoiding a collision. No injuries were reported, and the aircraft was not damaged.
The board found there had been no radio communications between the vehicle and the Beechcraft 1900C 19-passenger plane.
The board found when the sun was low over the horizon and reflected off the wet runway, a solar glare condition was created that diminished the flight crew’s ability to detect the vehicle on the runway.
The investigation found that no radio check was done before the airport vehicle operator entered the manoeuvring area of the airport, and the operator did not realize the volume had been turned down to a level that prevented effective communication,” the board said.
Further, the board said, the vehicle operator did not broadcast his position or intentions when changing locations on the runway as required by Transport Canada standards.
The board said the city-owned Trail Airport has created new procedures and modified existing procedures concerning communications during airport operations in the wake of the incident.
“If proactive hazard identification and mitigation strategies are not implemented under an airport’s safety management system, the risk of incursions and collisions will remain,” the board said. “If airport vehicles are not conspicuous, they may not be seen by aircrew, increasing the risk of potential collisions.”
Airport manager Robert Baker could not be immediately reached for comment.
Airline spokesman Kevin Boothroyd said the issue was an operational one for the Trail airport and not something for the company to respond to.
“This was not our issue,” he said.“We're just a tenant at the mall. We just lease space.”