What happened
On 4 November 2004, at approximately 16:54 UTC, a Cessna 172C, registration G-ARYK, was performing a private flight at Lydd, Kent. Following a local flight, the pilot initiated an approach to Runway 03. At the time of the landing, the sun had already set, and the presence of cloud cover had created degraded visual conditions.
Due to ongoing maintenance work at the start of the runway, the threshold for Runway 0 and3 had been displaced by 500 metres. This work area was marked by red blocks and a line of black cones equipped with reflective strips. While the pilot noticed the red blocks during the approach, the low light levels and cloud cover prevented the timely detection of the black cones. As the aircraft touched down, the right main wheel ran over one of the cones. The impact propelled the cone upward and backward, where it struck the leading edge of the right horizontal stabiliser, causing a dent.
The investigation
The investigation examined the environmental conditions and the runway markings in place at the time of the incident. It was noted that the runway lighting had been reduced due to the work in progress, with edge lights only beginning some distance beyond the line of cones. The investigation also reviewed the NOTAM issued for the period, which had officially communicated the displaced threshold and the temporary runway markings.
Findings
- The primary cause of the impact was the pilot's failure to see the line of black cones due to the combination of dusk and partial cloud cover.
- The aircraft sustained a dent to the right horizontal stabiliser leading edge but no other damage.
- There were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger on board.