Cork-bound Ryanair plane narrowly avoids collision during Seville take-off

Spanish investigators detail how heavy rain, poor visibility and taxi errors led to dramatic near miss

The report found the Ryanair Boeing 737-800 cleared the other aircraft by just 50 feet while travelling at 174 knots (322km/h)

A Ryanair flight departing Seville Airport for Cork with 179 passengers and crew narrowly avoided a collision with another aircraft that mistakenly taxied onto the runway during heavy rain and deteriorating visibility almost two years ago, an investigation has revealed.

A report by the Spanish Civil Aviation Accident and Incident Investigation (CIAIAC) found that the Ryanair Boeing 737-800 cleared the other aircraft by just 50 feet while travelling at 174 knots (322km/h) shortly after midday local time on June 19, 2024.

No injuries or damage were reported on either the Ryanair flight or the Moroccan-registered ATR72, which was operating a RAM Express service to Casablanca with 48 passengers and crew on board.

The CIAIAC report noted that an air traffic controller at Seville Airport only instructed the ATR to hold its position at a point where it would have been impossible to stop the Ryanair flight, as it had already passed the point at which the take-off could have been aborted.

It found that the ATR taxied in the wrong area for one minute and two seconds before an air traffic controller detected the incursion and instructed the RAM Express flight to stop.

The Boeing 737 continued its take-off, flying over the ATR, and completed its journey without further incident. The crew later confirmed they did not observe the other aircraft on the runway at any time.

The ATR crew requested permission to return to the stand due to technical problems before it finally took off without further incident just over an hour later.

The report noted that the 35-year-old captain of the Ryanair flight had operated the Cork-Seville route for six years without previous incident.

The CIAIAC concluded that the incident resulted from the RAM Express crew’s failure to adhere to taxi procedures.

The report said the ATR pilots focused on the cockpit for a few moments while taxiing slowly after receiving an “icing” alert, which they considered a false reading as the temperature was 18ºC.

It found that the ATR continued straight ahead into an exit-only taxiway marked “No Entry”, which leads directly to the runway, instead of turning left.

The report said the ATR crew was “not sufficiently focused” on the taxi phase and did not give it the importance it deserved.

It also noted they did not have “proper situational awareness” of what was happening around them.

Investigators said a thunderstorm with heavy rain reduced runway visibility to 3km at the time, which may have made it difficult for the pilots to see wet, non-illuminated “No Entry” markings on the tarmac.

The report said inadequate lighting was a factor, as officials had not updated the runway lighting configuration to reflect the deteriorating visibility.

The CIAIAC said switching on the taxiway lights would likely have helped the RAM Express crew differentiate between the taxiway and runway.

It said an air traffic controller gave the ATR incomplete instructions to taxi to a holding point, probably assuming the crew knew the airport layout sufficiently well.

The report added that the controller was likely more focused on clearing the Ryanair flight than on correcting the ATR pilots’ incomplete readback.

Investigators said the controller’s workload at the time was not high.

They identified contributory factors including the controller’s failure to instruct the ATR to stop before it reached the runway edge.

Other factors included the absence of directional and information signs and the failure to update the taxiway lighting configuration due to a delay in receiving a meteorological report.

The CIAIAC issued two safety recommendations to the operator of Seville Airport and to air traffic control concerning signage and training.

The report noted that RAM Express had already implemented several safety measures relating to crew training on preventing runway incursions, which investigators deemed adequate.