B757 in near miss with ride on lawn mower

The Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) of the Department of Transport has published a Preliminary Serious Incident Report relating to a near miss between a Skyservice Airlines B757, registered C-GTBB and a ride on lawn mower at Dublin Airport. The B757 was operating a return charter flight from Sharm-El-Sheikh in Egypt on behalf of Thomson Airways in the early hours of May 29 when the incident occurred. Just after the aircraft touched down in foggy conditions at 01.53utc the crew reported that they saw ground equipment "right at the runway lights at the edge lighting here".

The investigation has so far determined that the ride on mower was moving along R10 several metres inside the runway edge lighting and that the mower was not equipped with either VHF air band radio, rear lighting or a flashing yellow beacon. The mower had been one of number of vehicles involved in supervised grass mowing when the operation was stood down by ATC at 01.47utc due to deteriorating visibility. The driver of the vehicle was unaware of the approaching aircraft and the report suggests that the wingtip of the aircraft probably passed over his head during the landing roll.

The Irish Aviation authority (IAA) confirmed to the AAIU that an Advanced Surface Movements Guidance and Control System (ASMGC) is currently being commissioned at Dublin Airport for an eventual release in September of this year. The ASMGC tapes were replayed by the investigating team and clearly showed the mower moving eastwards along the runway.

The report has issued a recommendation to the Dublin Airport authority (DAA) that all vehicles working on or in close proximity to active runways should be equipped with flashing yellow beacons, ASMGC transponders and VHF Air Band radios which are capable of selecting both tower and ground frequencies.

The DAA have responded to the effect that the recommendations have already been implemented.