widget/exchange-29
widget/exchange-30widget/exchange-33
widget/exchange-31

News / Plane left Sumburgh runway after pilot error

The Dornier 328 after leaving the runway. Photo: Ronnie Robertson

A PLANE left the runway at Sumburgh Airport earlier this year because of a pilot error, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has ruled.

Two pilots were uninjured when the Dornier 328 skidded off the runaway in strong crosswinds and ended up in grass in January.

The plane, which was being operated by 328 Support Services, was on a training exercise designed to demonstrate that the plane could land in higher winds and there were no passengers on board.

In a report into the incident released on Thursday, the AAIB said the flying pilot “inadvertently relaxed the left aileron input causing the right wing and main landing gear to lift off the ground”.

The report said that as the plane landed it began to drift to the right side of the runway, causing the pilot to apply the left brake – but in doing so, the left wing flap was relaxed.

“Subsequently, there was insufficient directional control in the strong crosswind conditions to prevent the aircraft from leaving the runway,” it said.

Become a member of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its readers to consider paying for membership to get additional perks:

  • Removal of third-party ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.

 
Categories
widget/exchange-62widget/exchange-53widget/newsletter_form_widget-3widget/exchange-63widget/pd_widget-6widget/exchange-54widget/pd_widget-8widget/exchange-55widget/pd_widget-9widget/exchange-56

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Have you considered becoming a member of Shetland News?

  • Removal of third-party ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.