Runway Safety at Worcester

Some recent events have raised concerns at Worcester. Andy Davis, Airport Manager reports:

Andy Davis, Worcester Airport Manager, reports some concerning recent events at Worcester, including:

• Failing to hold, resulting in runway incursion
• Taxiing on vehicle road marked with X
• Landing without clearance.

We are working on trying to incorporate these into a safety seminar possibly for June. Read more for details on the incidents.

Andy writes:I’d like to contribute with some examples of incidents we’ve had very recently and to reinforce paying attention to tower communications, and following airfield markings. For example within the past week alone:

• Student pilot failing to hold short on Bravo and continued across 11/29. What was particularly concerning was that the student pilot had a bit of a “no big deal” attitude with the controller.
• Pilot taxiing between Rectrix apron and Foxtrot north tie down opting to use the vehicle road at the south end of the T-hangars to avoid having to communicate with the tower to transit via Bravo. In that case he/she could have taxied around the north side of the t-hangars.
• Most egregious was the day before yesterday, a pilot reported inbound to the tower and was instructed to report when on base for rwy 11. Our Ops manager was conducting a field inspection and orientation with a badge applicant and was cleared to proceed full length on rwy 15 crossing 11/29. Approaching 11/29 she was demonstrating situational awareness and saying how important it is to scan left and right when approaching an intersecting runway. She looked left at the approach end of 29, then right down the 11 end. She slammed on her brakes, put the truck in reverse and hit the gas to get out of the RSA and avoid the aircraft that had just touched down without clearance to land at around the 11/delta intersection and rolling out at a high speed. We estimated that it would have been damn close to a collision or at the very least a radical deviation that could have resulted in damage or worse. The tower followed up with the pilot and filed a report with FAA Flight Standards. The lesson the Ops Manager learned was to keep a change of undergarments in her locker. Andy also reports that there was yet another incident later in the day after he had sent his email about these issues.

Fly safe. Stay well.