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| Date: | Sunday 25 February 2024 |
| Time: | 15:26 UTC |
| Type: |  Cessna 172N Skyhawk |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | TF-FFL |
| MSN: | 17272816 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Serious incident |
| Location: | near Reykjavik Airport (RKV) -
 Iceland
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Reykjavík Domestic Airport (RKV/BIRK) |
| Reykjavík Domestic Airport (RKV/BIRK) | |
| Investigating agency: | RNSA |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A Cessna 172N Skyhawk (TF-FFL) and a Diamond DA20 (TF-FGB) were involved in a serious airprox incident near Reykjavik Airport (RKV).
At the time of the incident three air traffic controllers were working in the control tower's workspace. One was assigned as Tower controller, another as Ground controller, and the third was on a break but still in the workspace.
There was significant air traffic at Reykjavik Airport at the time of the incident. There was considerable communication frequency load on the tower frequency, measuring about 70% between 15:17 and 15:27.
A television was on in the control tower's workspace, showing a football match in England (EFL Cup final between Chelsea and Liverpool). According to recordings in the control tower, it is believed that all air traffic controllers were attentive to the football match shortly before and when the incident occurred.
At 15:24:23, the pilot of TF-FGB, who was then over Hafnarfjörður, called the tower and requested to come in for a touchdown. The Tower controller instructed him to come in right downwind for runway 19. The pilot of TF-FGB read the instructions back correctly. No air traffic information was provided, but according to the tower controller, he generally does not provide air traffic information until the aircraft are in a position where their pilots have a chance to see the other air traffic.
There was constant discussion about the football match in the tower's workspace at this time. The tower controller participated in these discussions. At 15:25:32, TF-FFL was climbing on a runway heading after a touchdown on runway 19 and TF-FGB was over Gálgahraun approaching right downwind for runway 19. No air traffic information was provided to the pilots of the aircraft by the tower controller.
At 15:26:06, a there was a loud noise in the workspace when an air traffic controller had dropped a flight progress strip on the floor and a brief conversation took place between the tower and ground controllers as they helped to pick up the strip log and the strips from the floor. At the same time, aircraft TF-FFL was turning into a crosswind over Fossvogur and aircraft TF-FGB was between Bessastaðaness and Kársnes.
At 15:26:18, when TF-FFL was in crosswind and TF-FGB was downwind, there was a collision risk between the aircraft, just west of Kársnes at about 900 feet altitude. According to the pilots of both aircraft, TF-FGB flew just under TF-FFL.
The minimum horizontal separation was 0 meters, with 75 feet (23 meters) between them.
The air traffic controller at the tower station was unaware that the flight paths of the aircraft had intersected when the pilot of TF-FFL informed him, 32 seconds after the incident.
RNSA concluded that the football match on the television, the discussions, and the chatter in the control tower's workspace had an impact on the lead-up to this serious air traffic incident.
RNSA also believes that the when flight progress strips fell to the floor, it had an impact in the lead-up to this serious incident, by further distracting everyone in the control tower from the air traffic. At the same time, the aircraft TF-FFL was turning in crosswind over Fossvogur and the aircraft TF-FGB was positioned between Bessastaðanes and Kársnes on its way into Reykjavik Airport.
The purpose of the TV was thought to be for entertainment during times when there was little or no activity in the control tower, such as late at night or when no flights were due to weather. There were no written rules regarding the use of the television in the control tower when the incident occurred.
Following this serious incident, the television was disconnected on February 26, 2024.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
RNSA
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 27 January 2025 | TF-FFL | Private | 0 | Reykjavík Domestic Airport (RKV/BIRK) | |
non |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 31-Jan-2025 20:18 | ASN | Added |
| 31-Jan-2025 20:28 | ASN | Updated |
| 01-Feb-2025 12:12 | ASN | Updated [Narrative, ] |
| 01-Feb-2025 12:14 | ASN | Updated [Narrative, ] |
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