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An air carrier BA41 flight crew was distracted by a pair of rabbits that ran in front of them and they missed a taxiway turn passing the hold line for a runway. The captain decided, after looking for traffic, to turn onto the inactive runway then exit back to the taxiway and continue to the gate.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 393039 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199801 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : jfk |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : jfk |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Jetstream 41 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 393039 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | incursion : runway non adherence : far non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| Airport | other physical facility |
Narrative:
After landing at jfk on runway 22L, we were cleared to cross runway 4L/22R at golf and proceed to gate via txwys B and west. After making the right turn onto taxiway B and at intersection F, 2 rabbits jumped in front of the aircraft from the left. In the confusion to avoid killing them and damaging the aircraft I must have missed the curve to the left to remain on taxiway B and ended up (unknowingly) on taxiway za. My first officer put on the brakes only after crossing the hold short line of runway 31R/13L. Since the runway was not in use I quickly made a left on the runway and the next left on taxiway east. We taxied to the gate without further incident. The intersection of taxiway B/F/za has been the point of confusion for other aircraft as well, without the rabbits. Better and well lit signage? I am thankful the runway was not in use. This is my first NASA report. Next time I will verify position after being distracted. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said that the visibility from the windshield of his bae jetstream 41 is excellent, but on this night jfk had a partial power loss, and the taxiway and sign lights were out. The rabbits ran in front of him just before the transition turn to the northwest and distracted him. He proceeded down the straight ahead taxiway 'za' towards runway 13L/31R. He said that the first officer 'jumped' on the brakes when he realized that the runway was coming up. The reporter said that the tower frequency was busy so he scanned the area and, seeing no traffic, he turned down the runway to the next turnoff and rejoined the route to the gate. The captain said that he has seen several aircraft miss this turn at night, especially. He feels that, in normal conditions lighted hold lines would help pilots to hold short. He operates into several airports that are equipped with these light system and finds them very helpful at night and in low visibility.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR BA41 FLC WAS DISTRACTED BY A PAIR OF RABBITS THAT RAN IN FRONT OF THEM AND THEY MISSED A TXWY TURN PASSING THE HOLD LINE FOR A RWY. THE CAPT DECIDED, AFTER LOOKING FOR TFC, TO TURN ONTO THE INACTIVE RWY THEN EXIT BACK TO THE TXWY AND CONTINUE TO THE GATE.
Narrative: AFTER LNDG AT JFK ON RWY 22L, WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS RWY 4L/22R AT GOLF AND PROCEED TO GATE VIA TXWYS B AND W. AFTER MAKING THE R TURN ONTO TXWY B AND AT INTXN F, 2 RABBITS JUMPED IN FRONT OF THE ACFT FROM THE L. IN THE CONFUSION TO AVOID KILLING THEM AND DAMAGING THE ACFT I MUST HAVE MISSED THE CURVE TO THE L TO REMAIN ON TXWY B AND ENDED UP (UNKNOWINGLY) ON TXWY ZA. MY FO PUT ON THE BRAKES ONLY AFTER XING THE HOLD SHORT LINE OF RWY 31R/13L. SINCE THE RWY WAS NOT IN USE I QUICKLY MADE A L ON THE RWY AND THE NEXT L ON TXWY E. WE TAXIED TO THE GATE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE INTXN OF TXWY B/F/ZA HAS BEEN THE POINT OF CONFUSION FOR OTHER ACFT AS WELL, WITHOUT THE RABBITS. BETTER AND WELL LIT SIGNAGE? I AM THANKFUL THE RWY WAS NOT IN USE. THIS IS MY FIRST NASA RPT. NEXT TIME I WILL VERIFY POS AFTER BEING DISTRACTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT THE VISIBILITY FROM THE WINDSHIELD OF HIS BAE JETSTREAM 41 IS EXCELLENT, BUT ON THIS NIGHT JFK HAD A PARTIAL PWR LOSS, AND THE TXWY AND SIGN LIGHTS WERE OUT. THE RABBITS RAN IN FRONT OF HIM JUST BEFORE THE TRANSITION TURN TO THE NW AND DISTRACTED HIM. HE PROCEEDED DOWN THE STRAIGHT AHEAD TXWY 'ZA' TOWARDS RWY 13L/31R. HE SAID THAT THE FO 'JUMPED' ON THE BRAKES WHEN HE REALIZED THAT THE RWY WAS COMING UP. THE RPTR SAID THAT THE TWR FREQ WAS BUSY SO HE SCANNED THE AREA AND, SEEING NO TFC, HE TURNED DOWN THE RWY TO THE NEXT TURNOFF AND REJOINED THE RTE TO THE GATE. THE CAPT SAID THAT HE HAS SEEN SEVERAL ACFT MISS THIS TURN AT NIGHT, ESPECIALLY. HE FEELS THAT, IN NORMAL CONDITIONS LIGHTED HOLD LINES WOULD HELP PLTS TO HOLD SHORT. HE OPERATES INTO SEVERAL ARPTS THAT ARE EQUIPPED WITH THESE LIGHT SYS AND FINDS THEM VERY HELPFUL AT NIGHT AND IN LOW VISIBILITY.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.