Incident Overview

Date: Thursday 15 May 1986
Aircraft Type: Tupolev Tu-134
Owner/operator: Mal‚v – Hungarian Airlines
Registration Number: HA-LBH
Location: Zrich-Kloten Airport (ZRH/LSZH) – ÿ Switzerland
Phase of Flight: Approach
Status: Unknown
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 24
Component Affected: Aircraft ? Left Main Landing GearAircraft ? Left Main Landing Gear
Investigating Agency: BFU Switz.BFU Switz.
Category: Accident
A flight crew misjudged their position, assuming runway 16 was the correct one. Upon realizing the error, they initiated a corrective maneuver towards runway 14. The aircraft, due to a combination of factors, including a VOR/DME approach error, insufficient warning, and a subsequent uncoordinated landing, resulted in the left main landing gear striking two edge lights on the left side of the runway.A flight crew misjudged their position, assuming runway 16 was the correct one. Upon realizing the error, they initiated a corrective maneuver towards runway 14. The aircraft, due to a combination of factors, including a VOR/DME approach error, insufficient warning, and a subsequent uncoordinated landing, resulted in the left main landing gear striking two edge lights on the left side of the runway.

Description

Following a VOR/DME approach for runway 14, the crew looked outside and was convinced they were heading towards it. In reality, runway 16 was in front of them. When the captain realized the error, he took over the controls, previously held by the co-pilot, and initiated a correction maneuver towards runway 14. The aircraft did not align parallel to the axis of the latter. The left main landing gear then struck two edge lights on the left side of the runway. Causes The poor landing was due to: – An approach by mistake on the wrong runway, due to the following factors: – A critical VOR/DME approach procedure, its axis being directed exactly towards the beginning of the wrong runway; – Lack of warning about the known risk of confusing the two runways during a VOR/DME procedure; – Late verification by the pilots of the assigned runway; – The omission of performing a go-around after realizing the confusion; – An unstabilized final phase, following a correction maneuver.

Primary Cause

A critical VOR/DME approach procedure, its axis being directed exactly towards the beginning of the wrong runway, led to a misjudgment of the runway position.A critical VOR/DME approach procedure, its axis being directed exactly towards the beginning of the wrong runway, led to a misjudgment of the runway position.

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