E195 crew warned over insufficient runway length before collision with structures on take-off

Pilots of an Embraer 195 that hit lighting structures on take-off from Belgrade had been warned to check they still had sufficient runway to depart, after lining up at a different intersection than planned, Serbian investigators have disclosed. The Marathon Airlines twinjet – with 106 passengers and five crew members – had been operating an Air Serbia service to Dusseldorf on 18 February. Serbian traffic investigation authority CINS states that the crew had calculated take-off parameters for a runway 30L departure from intersection D6. The Serbian aeronautical information publication gives the distance available from D6 as 2,349m. CINS says the crew testified that the take-off calculation was “double-checked”. The aircraft was instructed by air traffic control to proceed to intersection D6 via taxiways F, G and A which the crew correctly read back. This taxiing direction would have taken the aircraft past intersection D5 before reaching D6. But while the crew informed the tower, at 17:35, that they were approaching D6 and were ready for take-off, CINS says the tower controller transmitted an “urgent message” about a minute later, asking if they were aware that they had taken the turning for D5. The controller pointed out that the available runway length from D5 was only 1,273m and suggested this was not sufficient. CINS says the crew requested a few moments to carry out checks. The crew subsequently testified that the take-off parameters were checked with the first officer’s handheld tablet. Although the controller had told the crew that, if necessary, they could backtrack to intersection D6, the crew responded some 30s later that they had confirmed the aircraft could take off. After reconfirming with the crew, the controller gave clearance for a D5 intersection take-off, informing the crew that there was no wind.<br/>