Date:	Monday 15 July 2024
Time:	18:03 UTC
Type:	Airbus A321-251N
Owner/operator:	TAP Air Portugal
Registration:	CS-TJI
MSN:	8270
Year of manufacture:	2018
Engine model:	CFMI CFM LEAP-1A32
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants:
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	None
Location:	Lisboa-Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS/LPPT) -   Portugal
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Milano-Malpensa Airport (MXP/LIMC)
Destination airport:	Lisboa-Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS/LPPT)
Confidence Rating:	Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities

Narrative:
TAP Portugal flight TP825, an Airbus A321-251N, was involved in a runway incursion incident with a runway inspection vehicle at Lisboa-Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS).

The driver of a Follow-Me vehicle (FM) contacted Lisbon tower using the TETRA system, at around 17:58:25 to request authorisation to execute a routine runway inspection.
The controller in the tower (ATCO) authorised the FM to enter runway 20 at S4 and was told that an inspection of the entire runway could be executed and to report once freed.
The FM began its inspection of the runway at 17:58:50, which resulted in the activation of a yellow RIMCAS alert on the controller’s GSD (Ground Situation Display).
At approximately 4 minutes away from the threshold of runway 02 was the only traffic on approach at that time, an A321neo which made initial contact with the tower at 17:59:48 and was instructed to “continue Visual Approach runway 02” and that there was “a vehicle on the runway performing routine inspection”.
The ATCO, concerned with the approaching traffic and that the FM would not be able to complete inspection of the entire runway (as had initially been arranged), contacted the FM at 18:01:23 requesting the vehicle to vacate the runway before reaching the first third of runway 02 at intersection H3 or P, reinforcing that the traffic was about a minute from touchdown. GSD recordings show that, in fact, the traffic was about 2 NM from the runway (about 50 seconds) when the communication was made.
At 18:01:35 the ATCO received a call regarding the planning of arrivals and departures. The call, which took about 20 seconds, did not allow the ATCO to respond to the FM which at 18:01:36 stated her intention to try and conclude the inspection given that the aircraft was a minute away.
The tower controller also did not respond to the traffic when the crew declared that they were “on short final runway 02”.
At 18:02:00, the controller called the FM once again urging her to vacate at P as the aircraft was on short final, to which the FM declared that she would vacate at M5, the final intersection for runway 20.
The ATCO informed the flight crew to continue and expect a very late landing clearance as the vehicle was nearly vacating the runway. At 18:02:15, the RIMCAS red alert was displayed with the aircraft about 5 seconds away from touching down. Next, the ATCO gave the wind and cleared the A321 to land at 18:02:18. The aircraft landed uneventfully.

The FM did not vacate at M5, as had been declared, and instead vacated the runway at intersection N2 which is the second of runway 02. Upon vacating and realising that it would not be possible to reach the end of the runway without interference with traffic, the FM declared runway vacated to the ATCO, which in turn gave acknowledgement.
Soon thereafter, the FM contacted the tower a second time stating that the runway was clear and that there were no findings. The ATCO supervisor interjected and asked whether the driver had understood that she had been instructed to vacate at P. The response from the driver was affirmative, adding her intention to try and conclude the inspection. The supervisor clarified that said intention was no authorisation from the tower that the FM was authorised to do so.

LPPT 151800Z 32010KT 280V350 9999 FEW033 23/14 Q1019
LPPT 151900Z 33011KT 9999 FEW032 22/13 Q1019

https://www.gpiaa.gov.pt/upload/membro.id/ficheiros/i007410.pdf

Other occurrences involving this aircraft


13 May 2022	CS-TJI	TAP Air Portugal	0	Ponta Delgada-João Paulo II Airport, Azores (PDL/LPPD)		non
Runway incursion with a/c (no oollision)

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-Oct-2024 14:46	ASN	Added
10-Oct-2024 14:47	ASN	Updated