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| Date: | Monday 17 June 2019 |
| Time: | 15:59 LT |
| Type: |  Cessna 510 Citation Mustang |
| Owner/operator: | GlobeAir |
| Registration: | OE-FCB |
| MSN: | 510-0044 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Serious incident |
| Location: | Genève-Cointrin Airport (GVA/LSGG) -
 Switzerland
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | Genève-Cointrin Airport (GVA/LSGG) |
| Le Mans-Arnage Airport (LME/LFRM) | |
| Investigating agency: | STSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
During the takeoff roll of the Cessna 510 Citation Mustang (OE-FCB) on runway 04, a Eurocopter, AS 350B3 helicopter (HB-ZSL) crossed the runway.
The helicopter pilot’s confusion between the departing traffic and the aircraft taxiing on taxiway Y was the cause of this serious incident involving a near collision. The controller had asked the helicopter pilot whether he had in sight a Citation departing from the intersection. The controller was referring to the Cessna Citation taking off from intersection Z. This wording caused confusion, since at that moment a Phenom 300 was leaving intersection Y to proceed toward the north apron.
The helicopter pilot identified the Phenom 300 taxiing away from the intersection—interpreting “departing from the intersection” as “leaving the intersection”—as the aircraft mentioned by the controller. From the rear, the silhouette of the small jet could indeed resemble that of a Cessna Citation. This misunderstanding can be explained by the helicopter pilot’s position in the right seat, which created a blind spot toward the aircraft cleared for takeoff from intersection Z.
When the controller instructed the helicopter pilot to let the traffic pass in front , the pilot replied that he would follow behind. This clearly indicates that he believed he was behind the traffic the controller had referred to.
Furthermore, the French-language radio transmissions intended for the helicopter did not draw the attention of the Citation crew that was taking off. Once the helicopter came into view, the Citation crew reacted appropriately by reducing their rate of climb. As a result, the vertical distance between the aircraft never fell below 400 feet.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
STSB
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 18-Jul-2019 07:49 | harro | Added |
| 18-Jul-2019 07:51 | harro | Updated [Total occupants, Destination airport, ] |
| 27-Oct-2025 14:55 | ASN | Updated [Nature, Source, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
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