Seeding Vehicle's Tires Cross Hold-Short; Pilots Rat 'Em Out

FAA officials want to know why an airport vehicle drove onto an active runway Monday at Kentucky's Blue Grass Airport.

The Associated Press reports the incident occurred at 1011 EST, after Pinnacle Airlines Flight 5888 from Detroit landed at the airport. The vehicle was leading two others planting grass seeds near the runway.

FAA spokesman Warren Woodberry said the airport vehicle called ground control, asking for permission to cross the hold-short line. It was told to hold-short on the taxiway... but two of the vehicle's right wheels crossed the line.

Woodberry says there was no safety issue, as the vehicles were never closer than 4,150 feet to the regional jet... but the incident did attract the attention of the Pinnacle pilots, who asked controllers if they knew one of the vehicles had crossed the line.

Ken Bechtold, local representative for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said the airport vehicle "went over the hold-short line by a couple of tires" and called the incident "very, very minor."

Woodberry said the incident would likely be classified as a "Category D" runway incursion.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.bluegrassairport.com