What happened
On 10 July 2001, an Antonov 12, registration LZ-SFK, was conducting a cargo flight from Casablanca to Exeter Airport. The aircraft was carrying 7.7 tonnes of freight, with a total landing weight of 51 tonnes. During the approach to Runway 26, the aircraft encountered heavy rain and turbulence. While the flight was being managed by the first officer under the supervision of the commander, the crew relied on instruments due to poor visibility caused by the rain.
As the aircraft descended through 50 feet, the commander took control of the aircraft. He encountered significant resistance due to a marked nose-up trim setting, which necessitated heavy physical force on the control column to correct the attitude. During the landing sequence, the aircraft bounced after the initial touchdown. During the subsequent landing roll, the right main landing gear collapsed, causing the right wing tip to scrape the runway. The aircraft eventually veered off the runway, coming to rest on a grass area approximately 800 metres from the touchdown point. There were no fatalities and no injuries among the eight crew members and one passenger.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight conditions, the aircraft's configuration, and the crew's actions during the final approach. It was established that the aircraft was configured with 35 degrees of landing flap and the landing gear was correctly locked down. The investigation looked into the impact of the weather, specifically the heavy rain and wind, as well as the cockpit coordination and the aircraft's trim state during the transition of control from the first officer to the commander.