Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Reading Regional /Carl Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Reading, Pennsylvania 19605
Wednesday, August 27, 2008 16:25 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On August 27, 2008, two controller operational errors occurred at Reading Regional Airport/Carl A. Spaatz Field (RDG) in Reading, Pennsylvania. The first error occurred at 1614 eastern daylight time when the tower controller cleared an aircraft for a low approach to a closed runway without providing an altitude restriction and the second error occurred about 10 minutes later when another aircraft landed on the same closed runway. At the time of the incidents, there were four controllers assigned to the facility. Two certified air traffic controllers were in the tower cab: one controller working radar approach control/flight data combined at the approach control position, one controller working the tower local control/ground control/controller-in-charge positions combined at the local control position, and two controllers were on break. Runway 18/36 was closed and had been closed for 4 weeks. Notices to airmen (NOTAM) 07/003 and 07/014 were in effect. RDG NOTAM 07/003 advised that personnel and equipment were working at the approach end of runway 18; RDG NOTAM 07/014 advised that runway 18/36 was closed from 0700 to 1700 EDT Monday through Friday. The runway closure was broadcast on the automatic terminal information service (ATIS) and posted on the status information area (SIA) board in the tower cab.
Both incidents occurred during day visual meteorological conditions with 10 miles visibility. Runway 18/36 was dry.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The tower local controller permitted an aircraft to conduct a low approach and another aircraft to land on a closed runway. Contributing to the incident were the arrival radar controller who failed to correct the local controller when advised an aircraft would be landing on a closed runway and the facility management's tower staffing policy.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 8/27/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1625 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Reading |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 19605 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | Reading Regional Airport/Carl |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | RDG |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On 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 | 1555 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KRDG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| 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) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 7 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.05 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 24495 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 28 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 9 2008 8:17AM |
| User who most recently changed record | rows |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | -- |
| NTSB Number | OPS08IA012 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | -- |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | -- |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 172 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | -- |
| Aircraft Owner State | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | -- |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | -- |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | -- |
| Departure State | -- |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | KRDG |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 9 2008 8:16AM |
| User who most recently changed record | rows |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 18 |
| Runway Length | 5151 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |