Douglas DC 9 83 N425NV

Summary

On 21 October 2016 at about 12:22 local time, a Douglas DC 9 83 registered N425NV, operated by Allegiant Air LLC, was involved in an incident near Westfield, Massachusetts, United States. The number of people on board was not recorded. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 October 2016 at 12:22

Classification

Incident

Location

Westfield, Massachusetts, United States

Nearest airport

Westfield-Barnes Rgnl (BAF)

Coordinates

42.1453, -72.7189

Aircraft

Douglas DC 9 83

Registration

N425NV

Category

Airplane

Year built

1987

Operator

Allegiant Air LLC

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Asheville → Westfield

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

OPS17IA003

Injuries not recorded.

The air traffic controller issuing the aircraft a clearance to land while there was a vehicle authorized to be on the same runway. Contributing to the incident was the air traffic controller's decision to not simulcast the local control and ground control frequencies, and, the reduced visibility at the airport as a result of the weather.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The air traffic control tower was operating with all positions combined and the local controller provided approval for an airport vacuum truck to conduct runway sweeping on the first 4000 feet of runway 02. Also operating on the airport movement areas were several other airport and state organization vehicles. The weather was 3/4 statute mile visibility with a ceiling of 200 feet overcast and the local  controller could not visually observe the vehicles on the runway. In accordance with standard operating procedure, the local controller used a red "runway unavailable" memory aid to assist with remembering that the vehicles were on the landing surface. As several of the vehicles began to clear the runway, the local controller removed the red memory aide. The vacuum truck remained working on the runway. A short time later, the air traffic controller cleared the flight crew of an MD-83 aircraft to land on runway 20 while the vacuum truck was still on the approach end of runway 02.The aircraft landed and stopped about 200 feet from the vacuum sweeper which was still on the runway. The local controller was operating with combined ground and local positions but did not combine the ground and local radio frequencies. The airport vehicles were communicating with the controller on the ground frequency and were unaware of inbound air traffic communicating with the controller on the local control frequency.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.