What happened
During a ferry flight intended for a 50-hour maintenance inspection at Leeds-Bradford Airport, an aircraft operated by Northair Aviation experienced a runway excursion. While performing the approach, the pilot encountered extreme meteorological conditions characterized by heavy rainfall and intense winds.
As the aircraft approached the runway, it became unstable during the landing phase. The plane made contact with the runway surface too far along the strip, leaving insufficient distance to decelerate. Consequently, the aircraft overran the end of the runway, collided with a fence, and ultimately stopped on a nearby road. The impact resulted in one injury to the pilot and caused the aircraft to be declared a total loss.
Findings
- Severe weather conditions, including heavy rain and strong winds, significantly impacted the stability of the aircraft during approach.
- The primary cause was the pilot's inability to stop the aircraft within the remaining runway length following a long touchdown.
- The intensity of the storm was sufficient to necessitate the diversion of all other scheduled flights to alternative airports.