What happened
On 2 September 2009, a BN2A Mk.III-2 Trislander, registration G-RLON, was performing a scheduled passenger service from Southampton to Alderney Airport. During the initial approach to Runway 26, air traffic control notified the pilot that wind speeds were reaching 36 knots from 180 degrees. Because these conditions exceeded the aircraft's crosswind limitations, the pilot executed a go-around.
The pilot subsequently requested permission to land on the grass runway (Runway 14). The approach to this runway was characterized by significant turbulence caused by the wind and the proximity of nearby cliffs. As the aircraft crossed the airfield boundary fence on short finals, it encountered a sudden, strong downdraft. This caused the aircraft to land short of the marked threshold. While the pilot initially believed the landing was merely slightly short, a passenger later alerted the crew that the aircraft had struck a marker board. An inspection by the Airfield Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that the aircraft had also dislodged two 71 cm high fence posts after hitting a wire fence located 67 m before the threshold.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the flight conditions, the aircraft's performance during the turbulent approach, and the physical damage sustained by the aircraft and airfield infrastructure. The inspection confirmed that the aircraft's right leg fairing had suffered slight damage and that the impact with the wire fence had displaced parts of the boundary fence.