What happened
On 24 October 2006, a Cessna 182P, registration G-BTHA, was conducting a private flight returning to Liverpool Airport. After completing several legs of a journey involving Wolverhampton and Shobdon, the pilot received clearance to enter the Liverpool zone. Following a brief hold at Helsby Hill, the aircraft was cleared to join the circuit on the base leg for a landing on Runway 27.
During the final approach, the pilot experienced significant difficulty seeing the runway due to being blinded by the low winter sun. To maintain visual contact with the approach path, the pilot flew at a lower altitude than usual, attempting to use the approach lights as a guide. While the pilot initially considered an approach to the lights, they did not realize the severity of the visibility issues until very late in the descent. Upon noticing the red PAPIS lights, the pilot realized the aircraft was at an dangerously low altitude and applied full power in an attempt to climb.
During this maneuver, the aircraft struck a 30-foot wooden stanchion supporting an approach light. The impact uprooted the structure, and the aircraft subsequently struck the ground and hit a second stanchion. The impact caused the right wing to detach, and the aircraft sustained extensive damage. Both the pilot and the passenger sustained serious injuries.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight path and the visibility conditions at the time of the accident. Air traffic control (ATCO) monitored the aircraft's progress and noted that while the aircraft appeared to be on a stable approach, its altitude was low. The controller did not observe the aircraft's descent to a dangerous height because they were managing other traffic on the airfield. The investigation established that the pilot had intentionally flown lower than normal to use the approach lights as a visual reference point, unaware of how much the sun glare was obscuring the runway.
Findings
- The pilot was blinded by the sun, which significantly impaired visibility of the runway.
- The pilot attempted to fly a lower-than-normal approach profile to use the approach lights as a navigational reference.
- The aircraft struck an approach light stanchion while at an insufficient altitude to safely execute a climb-away maneuver.