Date:	Thursday 5 December 2024
Time:	15:47 UTC
Type:	Airbus A320-251N
Owner/operator:	Air India
Registration:	VT-EXT
MSN:	7559
Year of manufacture:	2017
Total airframe hrs:	25871 hours
Engine model:	CFMI CFM LEAP-1A26
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 158
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	None
Category:	Serious incident
Location:	Goa-Manohar International Airport (GOX/VOGA) -   India
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Goa-Manohar International Airport (GOX/VOGA)
Destination airport:	Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD/VOHS)
Investigating agency:	AAIB India
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
Air India flight AI2592, an Airbus A320-251N, inadvertently started the takeoff roll on Taxiway A instead of Runway 28 at Goa-Manohar International Airport.

At 15:41 UTC the crew asked for taxi instructions. ATC checked if the aircraft could depart from taxiway A5 and runway 28 intersection to which the crew agreed. ATC then issued taxi clearance to the holding point for RWY28 via taxiways ‘D-E-A-A5.’ The crew of AI2592 correctly read back the taxi instructions and taxied out at 15:42 UTC.
After approximately 3 minutes from commencement of taxi, upon approaching taxiway E-A intersection, AI2592 reported to ATC being fully ready. ATC then instructed the aircraft to line up on runway 28 via taxiway A5, and the crew acknowledged this instruction correctly. Thereafter take-off clearance was issued by ATC and runway 28 was mentioned in take-off clearance.
But instead, the aircraft lined up on taxiway A which was parallel to the runway. The aircraft rolled on taxiway A for take-off. The Tower controller noticed the aircraft appeared larger than usual. This prompted the controller to cancel the take-off clearance. AI2592 acknowledged the cancellation and took prompt action. The aircraft, which had already commenced its take-off roll on taxiway A, came to a halt at the taxiway A-W junction after attaining a speed of 124 Kts (Calculated Performance Speeds were V1: 138 kts; VR: 138 kts; V2 139 kts). The aircraft then taxied back to the apron.
It resumed service the following day.


Probable Causes:
a) Situational Awareness Deficit: The issuance of “Take-off clearance” by ATC likely caused the crew’s cognitive focus to shift entirely toward executing the Take-off. This shift may have diminished their situational awareness, resulting in expectation bias or cognitive overload, which prevented them from recognizing the visual cues indicating they were at the TWY intersection instead of RWY intersection.
b) Both Take-off clearance was issued by ATC and TAKEOFF checks completed by crew on TWY ‘E’ near TWY intersection.
Note: If Take-off clearance had been issued by ATC on TWY ‘A5’ leading to RWY28, and the crew had initiated the Take-off checks upon reaching the designated holding point, it might have provided an additional layer of defence against this incident.
c) The flight crew did not fully adhere to the ATC taxi instructions and failed to enter TWY ‘A5’ before lining up. If the crew had completed the taxi instructions and properly entered TWY ‘A5’ before turning for LINEUP, the incident could have been avoided.

Contributory factors:
a) The airport is not equipped with an Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (A-SMGCS) which might have improved situational awareness for ATC with this topography.
b) The PM was busy with head down as he was trying to login on EFB to bring the display back to ON mode to initiate the LINEUP checklist and did not check the departure RWY when PIC was incorrectly lining up on Taxiway A.

VOGA 051500Z 00000KT 3000 BR SCT020 27/22 Q1012 NOSIG
VOGA 051600Z 00000KT 3000 BR SCT020 27/22 Q1013 NOSIG

https://www.republicworld.com/india/air-india-flight-vt-ext-attempts-take-off-from-taxiway-in-goa-dgca-seeks-report
https://bea.aero/les-enquetes/evenements-notifies/detail/incident-grave-survenu-a-lairbus-a320-immatricule-vt-ext-exploite-par-air-india-le-05-12-024-sur-lad-manohar/

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Dec-2024 16:05	ASN	Added
07-Dec-2024 16:32	ASN	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, Photo, ]
07-Dec-2024 17:19	ASN	Updated [Destination airport, Narrative, ]
07-Dec-2024 17:21	ASN	Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Damage, Narrative, ]
20-Dec-2024 11:16	ASN	Updated [Source, ]
23-Apr-2025 14:32	ASN	Updated [Total occupants, Location, Narrative, Accident report, ]
23-Apr-2025 14:37	ASN	Updated [Location, Narrative, ]