Vehicle Stuck on the Runway During a Landing Clearance
At 22:40 local time, tower at an aerodrome with runway 06/24 (2,600 m, wet) is working a single runway. A Boeing 737-800 is on 1.5 NM final and has been cleared to land. A fuel tanker has been cleared to cross runway 06 at taxiway Bravo; the driver reads back the clearance, enters the runway, then stops because the security gate on the far side is closed. The tanker reports 'we are stuck on the runway.' The RVR is 800 m, runway edge lights are on, and the 737 is now at 1 NM on short final. A Dash 8 Q400 is holding at taxiway Alpha, waiting for a takeoff clearance after the 737 lands. The tower controller has only seconds to act and must protect the landing aircraft, remove the vehicle from the runway, and prevent any further incursion.
1. What are the controller's immediate priorities and what phraseology should be used?
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Priority order is: separate the landing aircraft from the vehicle, then remove the vehicle, then protect against further incursions. The 737 is at 1 NM and has not touched down, so the safest action is an immediate go-around. Transmit without delay: Boeing 737, go around, I say again, go around, vehicle on runway; climb straight ahead to 3,000 ft, turn left heading 030. Do not issue a takeoff clearance to the Dash 8. Instruct the tanker: Tanker, vacate runway 06 immediately via taxiway Alpha, acknowledge. If the tanker cannot move, tell the driver to leave the paved surface if it is safe to do so. Notify ground movement control and alert airport emergency services as a precaution. Keep transmissions short and use standard phraseology so the 737 crew can act immediately.
2. After the go-around, how should the controller restore the runway and handle the tanker?
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First confirm the tanker is fully clear of the runway and the runway strip. If it cannot move, arrange a tow or follow-me vehicle and do not permit any landing or takeoff until the runway is inspected for FOD and declared clear. Pass the delay to the 737 and Dash 8 and ask the 737 for fuel state; if fuel is becoming critical, declare an emergency phase and prioritise its recovery. Inform airport operations about the closed gate and the stuck vehicle.
Afterwards, complete a runway incursion report: time, positions, clearances issued, read-back, evasive action taken, and severity. The event is at least a Category B or C incursion depending on the distance and evasive action; if the 737 had to take abrupt avoiding action, classify it accordingly. Notify the ATS reporting office and preserve voice recordings.
3. If the 737 had already touched down when the tanker reported stuck, what should the controller do?
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A go-around after touchdown is normally unsafe and must not be instructed. The controller should warn both parties and stop the landing aircraft: Boeing 737, stop immediately, I say again, stop immediately, vehicle on runway. Tell the tanker to evacuate the runway immediately, even if it means moving through the gate area or onto the grass, provided that is safer than remaining in the 737's path. If impact appears imminent and there is room, a controlled veer may be suggested, but only as a last resort; do not issue a veer that risks a loss of control at high speed.
Activate the emergency services, give the 737 taxi instructions only after it has stopped and the runway situation is known, and check for injuries. Preserve all recordings and report the occurrence as a serious runway incursion.