Air traffic controller allowed ‘unwise’ landing

AN air traffic controller who cleared an aircraft to land on a runway where a Aer Lingus jet was preparing for take-off is back at work after having his licence to provide the service temporarily suspended.

The man, who works at Knock Airport, admitted his decision was “certainly unwise” during an investigation into the incident.

Investigators said the 52-year-old pilot who availed of the irregular clearance to fly over a stationary airbus and touchdown on the same runway, had “an unfortunate lapse of airmanship”.

So too did the pilot of the Aer Lingus St Jarlath, who made no comment when told a Cessna was about to fly overhead and land.

The dangerous incident took place on May 28 after the pilot of a private light aircraft — a Cessna 172S — contacted Knock Airport air traffic control (ATC) to request entry into its airspace.

The aircraft, with one passenger on board, was en route from Carnmore Airport in Galway to Knock.

ATC subsequently cleared the pilot and told him to expect runway 27 for landing. He was aware another aircraft was preparing to enter the same runway because he was tuned in to the exchange between the Aer Lingus pilot and ATC.

He suggested to the controller that he could delay landing by orbiting for a minute. However, his offer was declined and he was told to route directly to the airfield. The controller asked him “can you land long, traffic backtracking,” in other words, could he land at the far end of the runway because the airbus had entered the other end.

The pilot said he could and the controller then told the pilot of the St Jarlath that a Cessna was about to land. The Aer Lingus pilot made no reply. The Cessna subsequently landed.

In his account, the Cessna pilot recognised the runway situation was “unusual”. He said he complied with ATC instructions and carried out a higher than normal final approach to ensure a safe clearance from the Aer Lingus plane. The pilot felt that, in issuing the clearance as he did, the controller was trying to be helpful.

After the incident, the controller’s ratings were suspended, and he was unable to instruct aircraft until a review of what happened was complete. The Air Accident Investigation Unit of the Department of Transport said the controller “accepted that his clearance and terminology was less than professional and, on reflection, ‘certainly unwise’”.

Following the investigation, the controller’s ratings were restored.

The investigation unit said one aircraft over-flying and landing in front of another aircraft was not a safe manoeuvre and even though the Cessna pilot thought his landing clearance was unusual, he carried on.

Commenting on the incident, the unit said “aviation safety is not one dimensional, nor is ATC responsible for safety alone”.

“Pilots bear an equal share of this responsibility... On this occasion, that neither pilot saw fit to question the ATC clearance or express any concern was an unfortunate lapse of airmanship,” the report said.

The pilot of the Cessna had 360 hours’ flying experience, 170 of which were spent flying a Cessna.