Summary Swiss investigators revealed that an easyJet Airbus A320 had almost collided with an airport vehicle while departing Prishtina International Airport (PRN). The pilots remarked that they overflew the vehicle while their landing gear was extended. The A320 continued to its destination without further incident.
Swiss investigators have disclosed that an easyJet Airbus A320 had almost hit an airport vehicle while attempting to depart at Prishtina International Airport (PRN). Car on the active runway In a notification issued on August 16, The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB), the investigative body of transportation-related incidents in Switzerland, disclosed that an easyJet A320, registered as HB-JXF, almost hit a car on the runway at Prishtina International Airport. According to the STSB, the easyJet aircraft was cleared to take off from the Kosovan airport.
At the same time, a car, which belonged to the airport, was standing on the active runway threshold at the eastern end of runway 35. After taking off, the A320 flew over the car at a sufficient height, with the pilots remarking that the aircraft’s landing gear was still extended. The STSB stated that The Aeronautical Accident and Incident Investigations Commission of the Republic of Kosovo (Komisioni për Hetimin e Aksidenteve dhe Incidenteve Aeronautike, AAIIC) has been investigating the event.
Flying to Geneva Airport The incident happened at 17:08 local time (UTC +2) on June 20. The easyJet A320 was operating flight U21496 from the Kosovan airport to Geneva Airport (GVA), its fourth itinerary of the day. Flightradar24 data showed that during the 60-second timeframe between 17:08 and 17:09, the aircraft had managed to climb from 1,650 feet (502.
9 meters) to 3,000 ft (914.4 m), with the flight tracking service not tracking the vehicle that was situated on the runway threshold. While the aircraft landed at Geneva Airport without further incident, it did not operate another flight during the day.
On the following two days, it flew four and six itineraries, respectively, with the A320 returning to Prishtina International Airport on June 22. The Swiss investigators’ notification about the incident did not include how many passengers or flight attendants were onboard the flight, with the A320 having two pilots at the time of the event. STSB indicated that while the aircraft belonged to easyJet, the UK-registered company, its operator was the Swiss-based easyJet Switzerland, which was why the Swiss investigators became stakeholders in the event.
The airport is offering incentives to airlines starting long-haul routes from the Kosovan capital. On a separate occasion, an easyJet Airbus A320neo, registered as G-UZLO, was involved in another incident at GVA. In January, the STSB disclosed that on November 5, 2023, the aircraft, operating flight U23291 from Edinburgh Airport (EDI) to GVA, descended well below the glide path, forcing the crew to initiate a go-around.
The STSB has been investigating the incident at the Swiss airport since disclosing it to the public on January 16. In a statement to Simple Flying at the time, easyJet emphasized that the safety of passengers or its crew members was not compromised. Shortly after the incident, the pilots were stood down for a brief period, which was in line with the low-cost carrier’s procedures.
They were not suspended. The pilots quickly initiated a go-around to avoid a collision with terrain..
