Airplane collides with Firetruck during Drill

  I got this report in my email last week and I pulled this together from several different sources. 

Incident Facts

Date of incident
Nov 18, 2022

Classification
Accident

Airline
LATAM Airlines Chile

Flight number
LA-2213

Departure
Lima, Perú

Destination
Juliaca, Perú

Aircraft Registration
CC-BHB

Aircraft Type
Airbus A320-200N

ICAO Type Designator
A20N

A LATAM Chile Airbus A320-200N, registration CC-BHB performing flight LA-2213 from Lima to Juliaca (Peru) with 102 passengers and 6 crew, was accelerating for takeoff from Lima's runway 16 at about 15:11L (20:11Z) when multiple fire trucks with flashing lights and sirenes sounding crossed the runway in front of the accelerating aircraft. The crew rejected takeoff at high speed (at about 125 knots over ground) but wasn't able to avoid contact with fire truck #3 although the truck tried to turn around turning right (into direction of the aircraft). The right main gear collapsed causing the aircraft to veer right towards the right hand runway edge coming to a stop partially off the runway about 2500 meters/8300 feet down the runway. A fire erupted around the right hand engine (PW1127G), all occupants were able to evacuate the aircraft. 4 passengers received serious and 36 passengers received minor injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, the fire truck was destroyed. Two fire fighters on board of the truck involved in the collision did not survive, a third fire fighter on the truck involved received serious injuries.

The airline reported all occupants of the aircraft survived the accident. There were 102 passengers and 6 crew on board.

Lima's Airport Authority reported all passengers were "doing well" and are receiving the attention of their teams. According to recordings the fire truck(s) entered the runway without clearance. The fire trucks had been responding to another aircraft that had suffered mechanical problems. On Nov 19th 2022 the Airport Authority reported that works to remove the aircraft from the runway have begun. In the late evening of November 19th 2022 the airport authority announced, the aircraft had been moved off the runway in a very complex operation, repair works on the runway have begun. The runway had received extensive damage both in depth and length.

On Nov 20th 2022 Lima's Airport Authority (LAP) reported in a written communique, that a pre-planned response time exercise was performed by the Rescue Team, in which it was to prove that a response to an emergency on the runway would not take any more than 3 minutes. The exercise had been coordinated between the airport and the Air Traffic Authority (CORPAC) and set to be carried out between 15:00 and 16:00 local time on Nov 18th 2022. CORPAC (Control Tower) confirmed the start time of the exercise at 15:10L, the impact with the LATAM aircraft happened at 15:11. The exercise was duely authorized under the current aeronautical regulations. (Editorial note: this communique does not mention, whether the vehicles were cleared to enter the runway by tower or whether the pre-coordination with CORPAC also included that the vehicles would be cleared to enter the runway without actual tower clearance, in other words tower would halt all traffic at 15:10L).

On Nov 21st 2022 Peru's Ministry of Transport and Communication in its role as Civil Aviation Authority stated, that the communique by LAP was essentially correct, however, this communication and coordination did not mean that the trucks had been cleared to enter the active runway. The exercise is authorized, but this does not mean that using this exercise there is anyone cleared to enter the runway, in particular if there is an aircraft moving on the runway. At this time there is no comment available, whether the trucks were cleared to enter the runway or not. However, the ministry confirmed the LATAM aircraft was cleared for takeoff.

Medical Services reported 102 passengers and 6 crew were evacuated from the aircraft, 24 passengers were taken to hospitals with injuries. The numbers were later updated stating 4 passengers received serious and 36 passengers minor injuries.

The local prosecution office reported two firefighters died in the accident, another one was injured. The office have opened an investigation to determine the facts and possible culpability and are currently reviewing the CCTV recordings.

Peru's Comision de Investigacion de Accidentes de Aviacion (CIAA) opened an investigation into the accident.

On Sunday Nov 20th 2022 at 00:00L (05:00Z) the runway was opened for takeoffs and became fully available some time later. Flight operations at Lima Airport have resumed.

The transcript of the communication on ground frequency (tower frequency not available) in the crucial time between starting of the exercise (20:10:00Z) and the collision reads with all times in UTC (according to the ground recording Recate 6, Rescue vehicle #6, took position on taxiway Alpha near but outside the runway strip at 20:04, obviously being the target of the exercise, Ground cleared Recate 6 to a position 90 meters from the runway axis indicated by traffic cones).

Accident: LATAM Chile A20N at Lima on Nov 18th 2022, collision with fire truck on takeoff

By Simon Hradecky, created Friday, Nov 18th 2022 22:36Z, last updated Tuesday, Nov 22nd 2022 11:25Z A LATAM Chile Airbus A320-200N, registration CC-BHB performing flight LA-2213 from Lima to Juliaca (Peru) with 102 passengers and 6 crew, was accelerating for takeoff from Lima's runway 16 at about 15:11L (20:11Z) when multiple fire trucks with flashing lights and sirenes sounding crossed the runway in front of the accelerating aircraft. The crew rejected takeoff at high speed (at about 125 knots over ground) but wasn't able to avoid contact with fire truck #3 although the truck tried to turn around turning right (into direction of the aircraft). The right main gear collapsed causing the aircraft to veer right towards the right hand runway edge coming to a stop partially off the runway about 2500 meters/8300 feet down the runway. A fire erupted around the right hand engine (PW1127G), all occupants were able to evacuate the aircraft. 4 passengers received serious and 36 passengers received minor injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, the fire truck was destroyed. Two fire fighters on board of the truck involved in the collision did not survive, a third fire fighter on the truck involved received serious injuries. The airline reported all occupants of the aircraft survived the accident. There were 102 passengers and 6 crew on board. Lima's Airport Authority reported all passengers were "doing well" and are receiving the attention of their teams. According to recordings the fire truck(s) entered the runway without clearance. The fire trucks had been responding to another aircraft that had suffered mechanical problems. On Nov 19th 2022 the Airport Authority reported that works to remove the aircraft from the runway have begun. In the late evening of November 19th 2022 the airport authority announced, the aircraft had been moved off the runway in a very complex operation, repair works on the runway have begun. The runway had received extensive damage both in depth and length. On Nov 20th 2022 Lima's Airport Authority (LAP) reported in a written communique, that a pre-planned response time exercise was performed by the Rescue Team, in which it was to prove that a response to an emergency on the runway would not take any more than 3 minutes. The exercise had been coordinated between the airport and the Air Traffic Authority (CORPAC) and set to be carried out between 15:00 and 16:00 local time on Nov 18th 2022. CORPAC (Control Tower) confirmed the start time of the exercise at 15:10L, the impact with the LATAM aircraft happened at 15:11. The exercise was duely authorized under the current aeronautical regulations. (Editorial note: this communique does not mention, whether the vehicles were cleared to enter the runway by tower or whether the pre-coordination with CORPAC also included that the vehicles would be cleared to enter the runway without actual tower clearance, in other words tower would halt all traffic at 15:10L). On Nov 21st 2022 Peru's Ministry of Transport and Communication in its role as Civil Aviation Authority stated, that the communique by LAP was essentially correct, however, this communication and coordination did not mean that the trucks had been cleared to enter the active runway. The exercise is authorized, but this does not mean that using this exercise there is anyone cleared to enter the runway, in particular if there is an aircraft moving on the runway. At this time there is no comment available, whether the trucks were cleared to enter the runway or not. However, the ministry confirmed the LATAM aircraft was cleared for takeoff. Medical Services reported 102 passengers and 6 crew were evacuated from the aircraft, 24 passengers were taken to hospitals with injuries. The numbers were later updated stating 4 passengers received serious and 36 passengers minor injuries. The head of the fire fighters at Lima Airport reported that two fire fighters persished in the accident, a third was taken to a hospital with serious injuries and is in the Intensive Care Unit in stable condition. Later the head of the firefighters added, the surviving fire fighter was diagnosed with a fracture at the base of his skull, severe head trauma including bruises of the brain stem and facial trauma, the vital functions are stable, the neurological compromise can only be assessed at a later time. The next 24 hours will be crucial. On Nov 21st 2022 the condition of the injured firefighter was still assessed critical. An ATC report states in writing that the rescue vehicle entered runway 16 from the west at the height of taxiway B without authorization and collided with flight LA-2213. Emergency procedures were invoked and rescue vehicles cleared onto the runway to deal with the accident. The runway was NOTAMed closed. On Nov 21st 2022 CORPAC, Air Traffic Control, stated categorically, that no vehicle had been cleared to enter the runway. CORPAC confirmed there was coordination for an exercise to be carried out by rescue services, however, this did not affect the runway and was to be held outside the runway strip. The airline reported that they do not know what the fire truck had to do on the runway and why it was there. They had no information about an emergency drill. In any case the normal procedure would be that any vehicle needing access to the runway would need to communicate with tower and obtain clearance to enter the runway. Their aircraft was cleared for takeoff. The local prosecution office reported two firefighters died in the accident, another one was injured. The office have opened an investigation to determine the facts and possible culpability and are currently reviewing the CCTV recordings. Peru's Comision de Investigacion de Accidentes de Aviacion (CIAA) opened an investigation into the accident. On Sunday Nov 20th 2022 at 00:00L (05:00Z) the runway was opened for takeoffs and became fully available some time later. Flight operations at Lima Airport have resumed.         Here are the Fire engines racing to the accident after the collision Still image out of CCTV: moment just before the collision: The remains of the fire truck #3 involved in the collision: The aircraft after the fire was put out: