During taxiing of the FDB1830 flight to the holding point short of RWY 29 on EPWA aerodrome, the crew was instructed by TWR to line up RWY 29 and wait. The crew correctly confirmed the instruction. At 21:05:501 hrs the plane lined up RWY 29. After 20 seconds the crew initiated take-off run. At 21:06:23 hrs the TWR, using urgent phraseology, instructed the FDB1830 crew to stop immediately. The crew confirmed the instruction. The take-off was aborted at the speed of 89 kt. The airplane stopped on RWY 29, about 250 m from the intersection with RWY 33, where the Boeing B737/800 was about to land.
The most likely cause of the take-off initiated without clearance was the crew’s partial loss of situational awareness.
Contributing factors: “Confirmation bias” phenomenon affecting the crew.
PKBWL has not proposed safety recommendations after the investigation.
Read the report.
