- The ATSB reminds airport workers to always remain focused during airside operations.
- Radio communications phraseology should be clear, concise and unambiguous.
Two separate incidents investigated by the ATSB show how important it is to communicate clearly and avoid distractions, such as mobile phones when driving airside.
An incident at Mackay Airport highlighted the potential distraction presented by portable communication devices, especially in the dynamic airside environment.
On 29 June 2012, a Piper PA-31 Navajo aircraft, took off from runway 05 at Mackay Airport. At that time, an Airport Safety Officer (ASO) was conducting an airfield runway and lighting inspection in an airfield safety vehicle and moving in a north-westerly direction along runway 32. Despite an earlier air traffic control instruction to hold short of runway 05, the ASO was distracted by a telephone call and continued along runway 32, crossing runway 05. The Piper PA-31 passed over the airfield safety vehicle by an estimated vertical distance of 30 feet.
Too close for comfort!
It is important to remain alert and to be mindful of the potential distraction presented by portable communication devices.
In another incident that same month, an airport safety vehicle at Perth airport entered runway 21 without a clearance during the operation of low visibility procedures. Prior to entering the runway, an air traffic controller used non-standard phraseology to instruct the vehicle to conduct a runway visibility check.
The Tower controller did not know that there had been a handover between airport operations officers and thought he was talking to the same person as had been operating earlier.
In response to this incident, the Perth Airport, the operator of the vehicle, conducted a workshop for airport operations officers (AOOs) to reinforce the importance of seeking clarification of implied or unclear instructions from air traffic control (ATC).
In June 2015, Airservices Australia published the fifth edition of An Airside Driver's Guide to Runway Safety. This publication identified a range of safety measures intended to help reduce the likelihood of runway incursions, including information about situation awareness and communications. This publication also highlighted the importance of scanning runways before entering or crossing a runway.
A Department of Infrastructure and Transport road safety grant report titled In-car distractions and their impact on driving activities recognised that distraction from a mobile telephone may divert a driver’s mental and perceptual attention from the task of driving, and may increase response times to events.
Safety messages:
The ATSB reminds airport workers to always remain focused during airside operations. It is important to remain alert and to be mindful of the potential distraction presented by portable communication devices.
Radio communications phraseology should be clear, concise and unambiguous. Drivers of airport vehicles are urged to seek clarification of ATC instructions if there is any doubt at all about the content or intent of the instruction.