Airbus A320 N662AW incident near Boston, Massachusetts

Probable cause

The vehicle operator's failure to follow the designated haul route to the construction site and his failure to adhere to airport driving procedures, which led to missed visual cues and lack of required communication prior to crossing the active runway. Contributing to the incident was the vehicle operator's distraction.

NTSB analysis

The airplane rotated approximately 500 feet from the intersection of runway 15R and taxiway M as the vehicle cleared the runway edge southbound on taxiway M. Taxiway M was under construction to connect the northern and southern portions for a full-length parallel taxiway. The operator of the construction vehicle was just coming on shift at the construction site at taxiway M. The Airport Authority had designated the south haul route as active at the time of the incident. The operator of the construction vehicle departed the construction trailer and drove to the construction site via the north haul route. He recalled turning on the construction vehicle’s rotating lights and the radio. He made no radio contact with the tower air traffic controllers during the drive, and despite not seeing any stop signs in place indicating a closed runway or looking both ways at the intersection, crossed the active runway without clearance. The operator of the vehicle stated in his interview he was “on autopilot during the drive to the construction site” and “was preoccupied” with thoughts of what needed to be done at the construction site.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for OPS09IA008 for the full record.