An investigation into an aborted landing incident at Dublin Airport has found that the action taken by both pilots was correct.
The Irish Aviation Authority launched an investigation in November after an Aer Lingus aircraft coming in to land was forced to divert from its course because a Ryanair aircraft was on the runway.
The Ryanair pilot had been awaiting clearance for take-off but had lost contact with the air traffic control tower and so did not take off. The Aer Lingus pilot noted the problem and made contact with ground control. He was instructed to do a "go-around" until it was safe to land. The IAA investigation found that both pilots had followed the correct procedure and did not make any recommendations.
Meanwhile, an investigation by the Air Accident Investigation Unit has found that a tow tractor loading baggage onto an aircraft at Dublin Airport was driving too close to the aircraft when it slid and damaged it.
The Air France flight was about to depart its stand when the incident happened in May 1999. The investigators recommended that an aircraft should not be approached without a competent guide person.
The Air Accident Investigation Unit has also published its report on another incident at Dublin Airport where the wing of a taxiing aircraft hit a parked bus and shattered its rear window, in September 1999.
The investigation found the bus should not have been parked in that place and that more caution should have been exercised in bringing the aircraft on to the stand.
In a separate investigation, the air accident unit recommended that pilots of aircraft with Rotax 447 engines should see engine failure as a "distinct probability" rather than a remote possibility. This engine is most common in microlight or ultra-light aircraft.
The air accident unit made its recommendation following a crash of a microlight at Baltray beach in Louth last February. The engine failed as the pilot approached the River Boyne estuary and the pilot crash-landed on the beach.
Both the pilot and passenger in the private Pegasus aircraft were seriously injured in the accident. The investigation found that the earth lead to one of the magneto coils was broken. Because the engine had a single ignition system, the power loss was much greater than with a dual ignition.
