Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Washington, District Of Columbia
Thursday, September 13, 2007 3:13 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On September 12, 2007, 3:13 am, a runway incursion occurred at Dulles International Airport involving N66NJ, a Learjet 35, and CV11, an airport vehicle during night visual meteorological conditions. At 2:56 am, runway 19R was closed for surveying and the runway lights were off. ATIS information G advertised the closure and an X was placed on the tower's ASDE display to confirm the closure. The closure was also displayed on the IDS 5 status display although not included in the Tower's Daily Log.
A survey crew was working at the south end of runway 19R. There were weighted cones about 2000 feet from the south end of the runway. The crew got in their truck and started driving northbound on runway 19R to get something. As they approached the north end of the runway, the controller cleared the N66NJ into position and hold (prohibited with only one controller in the tower), then cleared it for takeoff. The survey crew in the truck heard the clearance and advised the controller that they were still on the runway. Instead of canceling the takeoff clearance, the tower controller asked the survey crew if they could clear the runway. The survey crew drove off into the grass around taxiway Y1 and reported clear as the Lear is heard to roar by in the background. AMASS data has been requested but the FAA estimated the airplane missed colliding with the vehicle by about 600 feet.
The departure controller at Potomac TRACON noticed the departure off runway 19R and asked the tower controller if the runway was open, and was told "no."
There were two controllers assigned to the shift. At the time of the incident, one controller was working all positions in the tower cab and was responsible for 1 aircraft. The second controller was on break.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The probable cause of this incident was the IAD tower local controller's failure to ensure that the runway was free of all known ground vehicles, equipment, and personnel before permitting a departing aircraft to start takeoff roll. Additionally, the controller did not comply with local directives prohibiting taxi into position and hold operations while tower positions were combined.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 9/13/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 313 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Washington |
| Event State | DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | -- |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | -- |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | IAD |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | -- |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 15 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.09 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 4 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 22763 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 13 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 30 2007 3:42PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | HQ |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | -- |
| NTSB Number | OPS07IA010 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | -- |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | -- |
| Aircraft Explosion | -- |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Learjet |
| Aircraft Model | 35 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | -- |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | -- |
| ELT Activated | -- |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | -- |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | -- |
| Aircraft Owner State | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Country | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | -- |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | -- |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | -- |
| Operator Street Address | 3495 SW 9th Avenue |
| Operator City | Fort Lauderdale |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 33315 |
| Operator Code | JKIA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | -- |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | IAD |
| Departure City | Washington |
| Departure State | DC |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | FLL |
| Destination City | Fort Lauderdale |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - roll/run |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 26 2007 11:08AM |
| User who most recently changed record | ROWS |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |