Aer Lingus A330 Error at JFK: Taxiway Misstep Highlights ATC Coordination

Aer Lingus A330 Error at JFK: Taxiway Misstep Highlights ATC Coordination

An Aer Lingus Airbus A330-300, with registration EI-FNG and operating as flight EIN107, encountered an incident at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) after arriving from Dublin Airport (DUB). The crew mistakenly entered taxiway G after landing, instead of holding short as directed by Air Traffic Control (ATC).

Aer Lingus Deviates from ATC Instructions

Upon landing on runway 22L, the aircraft was instructed to taxi via Juliet (J), Zulu (Z), and hold short of Golf (G). However, the crew inadvertently turned onto taxiway G and stopped near runway 22R, which is an active parallel runway at JFK. The controller promptly recognized the error, reiterated the instructions, and confirmed that the crew had initially acknowledged the clearance correctly.

Following the error acknowledgment, the pilots were advised to remain in their position, and a phone number was provided for further communication after taxi.

Subsequent ATC and Crew Coordination

ATC managed the scenario by preventing the aircraft from crossing runway 22R, ensuring operational safety. Once the aircraft’s position was secured, it was re-cleared to cross runway 22R via Golf, proceed on Bravo, and hold short of Fox. The Tower stressed the significance of the initial instruction and emphasized that the cockpit error was not a communication failure. The usual protocol involves requesting the crew to contact the Tower after such incidents to debrief and reaffirm safety measures.

At busy airports like JFK, experiencing high traffic density and complex parallel runway operations, any deviation is closely scrutinized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and involved airlines.

Communication Transcript

Below is a transcript of the interaction between Aer Lingus pilots and JFK ATC, sourced from LiveATC.net:

• ATC: 107 heavy, turn right Juliet, taxi via Zulu, hold short of Golf, remain this frequency till you land.
• Pilot: Right Juliet, Zulu, hold short of Golf, maintain… where you going? Right.
• ATC: Also hold short 22 right, sir.
• ATC: No, I instructed you to hold short of Golf, and that’s what you read back. You don’t remember that?
• Pilot: Uh, apologies sir. Uh, uh, it’s wrong.
• ATC: Shamrock 107 heavy, hold your position. I’m going to have a number for you.
• Pilot: Yeah, no problem.
• ATC: Shamrock 107 heavy, cross runway 22 right at Golf, taxi right on Bravo, hold short of Fox.
• Pilot: 22 right on Golf, right at Bravo, hold short of Fox.
• ATC: Shamrock 107 heavy, advise when you’re ready to copy the number down.
• Pilot: Go ahead, Shamrock 107.
• Pilot: Who are we asking for?
• ATC: No, you’re not going to be asking for anybody, sir. It’s the tower number.

Aer Lingus Operations at JFK

Aer Lingus operates several transatlantic routes to New York, primarily using Airbus A330s, with flight EIN107 being a regular service between Dublin and JFK. Although the incident did not impact the flight’s arrival or passenger safety, it highlights the challenges airline crews face with ATC clearances in busy airport environments.