What happened
On 29 August 2016, a Beech B55 Baron, registration SE-EXW, was conducting a private flight traveling from Belgium toward Northern Ireland. During the transit, the pilot identified a restriction in the movement of the rudder. In response to this technical issue, the pilot decided to divert and perform a precautionary landing at Rectory Farm Airfield in Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire.
Upon attempting to land at the airfield, the pilot was unable to bring the aircraft to a halt within the confines of the available runway. The subsequent excursion resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, the right wing, and the left wingtip. There were no injuries to the pilot during the event.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report form submitted by the pilot. Investigators reviewed the circumstances surrounding the flight from Belgium and the mechanical issues reported during the flight. The scope of the inquiry focused on the sequence of events leading to the rudder restriction and the subsequent inability to stop the aircraft on the runway at Abbotsley.