Investigation Shows Two China Eastern Planes Nearly Collided In August 2024 Singapore Runway Incident Due To Missed Go-around: New Update You Need To Know

Published on August 20, 2025

In August 2024, Changi Airport witnessed a tense infinitesimal erstwhile 2 China Eastern Airlines craft came perilously adjacent connected nan runway, triggering a Singapore runway incident. The near-miss occurred arsenic nan 2nd level grounded to execute a go-around while nan first craft exited much slow than expected, highlighting nan captious domiciled of precise coordination betwixt pilots and aerial postulation controllers successful preventing imaginable disasters.

On August 28, 2024, Changi Airport witnessed a runway incursion incident erstwhile an arriving craft had not afloat cleared a runway area while different level was landing. Although nary injuries aliases harm occurred, nan arena highlighted nan captious value of precise coordination betwixt pilots and aerial postulation controllers during high-traffic operations.

A runway portion consists of nan main runway, wherever craft return disconnected and land, on pinch stopways astatine each end. Stopways are designed to trim nan consequence of harm to planes successful cases of aborted take-offs aliases overshoots. This information area extends astir 140 meters from nan runway’s halfway and includes adjacent taxiways, which nexus nan runway to terminal buildings, hangars, and different airdrome infrastructure. Such areas are captious to maintaining safe airdrome operations, peculiarly during periods of dense traffic.

The Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB), a section wrong Singapore’s Ministry of Transport, conducted a thorough investigation into nan incident and released its findings connected August 1, 2025. According to nan report, nan runway incursion occurred owed to a operation of factors: nan 2nd aircraft’s nonaccomplishment to execute a go-around erstwhile instructed and nan first aircraft’s slower-than-expected exit from nan runway.

Both craft were operated by China Eastern Airlines and had originated from Shanghai Pudong International Airport. The first aircraft, an Airbus A320-200neo, landed connected Runway 20R astatine 8:12:04 PM. Anticipating that nan 2 planes mightiness beryllium successful adjacent proximity, nan aerial postulation controller instructed nan first craft to expedite its runway exit. At 8:12:47 PM, nan Airbus unit turned near toward Rapid Exit Taxiway W7 while walking astatine astir 59.3 km/h.

Moments later, astatine 8:12:54 PM, nan controller received a ocular alert indicating a imaginable runway incursion. The informing suggested that nan first craft mightiness not vacate nan runway portion successful clip for nan 2nd craft to land. Despite this, nan Boeing 777-300ER, nan 2nd aircraft, was cleared to onshore astatine 8:12:55 PM, arsenic nan controller judged that nan tail of nan Airbus was already adjacent to nan separator of nan runway.

As nan first level moved onto nan taxiway, nan unit applied nan brakes to trim velocity beneath 18.5 km/h. This was basal to execute a move exceeding 90 degrees onto Taxiway W, successful compliance pinch hose information protocols. The 3 pilots aboard nan Airbus had accumulated extended experience, pinch formation hours totaling 11,049, 6,439, and 1,092 respectively.

By 8:13:19 PM, nan controller instructed nan Airbus to complete its near move toward Taxiway W while still connected nan taxiway adjacent to nan runway. Six seconds later, astatine 8:13:25 PM, nan controller instructed nan 2nd craft to execute a go-around aft assessing that nan runway portion would not beryllium vacated successful time. At this point, nan Boeing was astir 23.2 meters supra nan crushed and 296 meters from nan commencement of nan landing information of nan runway.

The 2nd aircraft’s unit did not respond to nan instruction and continued nan landing, rubbing down astatine 8:13:38 PM. Later, nan pilots reported being unaware of nan go-around directive, apt because nan aircraft’s enhanced crushed proximity informing system, which quickly announces altitude readings during descent, whitethorn person masked nan controller’s instruction. The 4 pilots connected nan Boeing 777 had accumulated 20,459, 9,777, 5,783, and 919 formation hours.

Both craft subsequently taxied safely to their designated parking positions. The TSIB concluded that nan 2nd aircraft’s unit apt missed nan go-around telephone owed to overlapping auditory cues from nan plane’s automated systems. China Eastern Airlines did not supply comments erstwhile approached for clarification.

While runway incursions are infrequent, they are taken earnestly successful aviation information circles. Between 2000 and 2024, astatine slightest 14 runway incursions person been reported astatine Changi and Seletar airports, according to publically disposable TSIB investigation reports. These events underscore nan value of vigilant connection and accelerated decision-making by some pilots and aerial postulation controllers.

The incident besides highlights nan challenges posed by modern cockpit technology. While enhanced informing systems amended situational awareness, overlapping alerts tin inadvertently obscure captious instructions, arsenic seen successful this case. Aviation authorities continually reappraisal procedures and technologies to forestall specified overlaps and to guarantee that controllers’ instructions stay clear and actionable, moreover during analyzable aliases high-pressure scenarios.

Two China Eastern Airlines planes narrowly avoided a collision successful August 2024, triggering a tense Singapore runway incident astatine Changi Airport. The 2nd craft missed a go-around while nan first exited nan runway slower than expected.

In nan aftermath of this event, Changi Airport and nan Ministry of Transport emphasized that information measures and aviator training protocols stay rigorous. All modular operating procedures, including go-around instructions and runway exit protocols, are reinforced regularly done simulations, drills, and operational briefings. The runway incursion astatine Changi, though not resulting successful harm, serves arsenic a reminder of nan delicate equilibrium successful airdrome operations, wherever timing, communication, and adherence to protocol are captious to preventing incidents.