This situation was allowed to develop from an un-needed sidestep, with the implied intention to land on the wrong runway, to an actual landing on the wrong R/W.
The oft available safety net of a sharp (
) controller noticing something wrong and alerting the crew may not have been available due to an inadequate system whereby the tower were not able to communicate in a timely fashion with the approach controller.
I trust this aspect will receive as much attention as the enac mandated investigation of Ryanair operating standards.
For all the previous reasons stated in other posts (i.e. in case of a R/W infringement delay in communicating same to crew ) I was always wary of this daft procedure - working approach, told to call lights in sight clear to land call tower when on the ground. The only inconsequential advantage is that there is no need to change frequency in the event of a go-around, but really, what proportion of approaches end in a go-around to warrant this crazy procedure.
The only other local wise-guy procedure that sucks even more is the potentially lethal Eindhoven one where you are cleared (even in crap vis) to cross the active runway whilst working the ground frequency. This is a real No No and can only be partially alleviated if you are of a mind to monitor the tower on box2, but it just SHOULD NOT be done that way.
Another accident/incident waiting to happen.