History of the Flight
On 28 May 2003, a Cessna 560 Citation, registration D-CAUW, operated a public transport charter from Hannover, Germany to Leeds Bradford Airport, UK, with two pilots and eight passengers. The first officer was initially the handling pilot. The commander requested a visual approach after establishing visual contact. At about five nautical miles on final approach, the commander took over control. The aircraft was cleared to land and was established on a 3.5° visual glidepath in clean configuration at 220 knots.
During the approach, at approximately two nautical miles from the threshold, an Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) Mode 4 "TOO LOW TERRAIN" alert sounded. At 1.5 nautical miles, speedbrakes were extended, and flaps were selected to 15° at 210 knots. Air traffic control reminded the crew that the landing gear was not down; the commander acknowledged. The gear was then lowered, and full flap (35°) was selected at 195 knots. Further EGPWS alerts occurred, including "TOO LOW TERRAIN" and "SINK RATE" warnings. The aircraft flared in the touchdown zone at 155 knots, floated, and touched down beyond the runway midpoint at 121 knots. The commander applied full reverse thrust but delayed wheel braking until about 1,900 feet (585 metres) from the runway end. The aircraft left the paved surface at an estimated 20 to 30 knots, coming to rest nose-down on grass. The aerodrome fire service arrived within two minutes. No injuries occurred, and all occupants evacuated without assistance.
Operational Information
The Cessna 560 Citation requires a minimum crew of two. Standard operating procedures called for the handling pilot to request the non-handling pilot to select flaps and landing gear. The normal flap sequence on approach was: approach flap (15°), landing gear down, then land flap (35°). The Airplane Flight Manual speed limits were 200 knots for flaps 15°, 173 knots for flaps 35°, and 250 knots for gear extension. The landing checklist required speedbrakes stowed by 50 feet above ground level.
The aircraft's landing mass was about 14,000 lbs (6,535 kg), giving an approach speed (VAPP) of 109 knots and a final threshold target speed (VREF) of 104 knots. The calculated landing distance required under prevailing conditions, using VREF at 50 feet, was 2,700 feet (823 metres). For Runway 14 at Leeds Bradford, the landing distance available (LDA) was 5,912 feet (1,802 metres) due to a displaced threshold from high ground on the approach path. The runway surface included a 450-foot (137-metre) paved overrun. The UK Aeronautical Information Publication noted that a nuisance EGPWS alert could occur at 2 nautical miles final for Runway 14 due to a ridge of high terrain. The runway had an undulating profile; the stop end became visible to the pilot only when about 1,300 feet (400 metres) of runway remained.
Flight Crew Information
The commander, aged 59, held an Airline Transport Pilot's Licence and had 8,000 total flying hours, with 5,000 on type. He was also the company owner and had flown this aircraft since its purchase in 2001. The first officer had 40 hours on type. Neither pilot had previously flown into Leeds Bradford Airport. The commander reported that he was overconfident because the runway length exceeded the required landing distance, and he omitted immediate wheel braking to save brake wear. He realized his misjudgment only when the runway end became visible over a rise. He believed that immediate braking upon touchdown would have allowed the aircraft to stop within the runway.
Flight Recorders
The aircraft was equipped with a solid-state Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) recording the last 30 minutes of speech and sounds, and a solid-state Flight Data Recorder (FDR) recording 12 analogue parameters and about 50 discretes. All data were recovered. The CVR showed that the first officer was the handling pilot until the commander took control during the final approach with little verbal exchange. The FDR indicated the aircraft maintained approximately a 3.5° glideslope for the final five nautical miles. Thrust was reduced to idle at 1,000 feet above aerodrome level, 2.5 nautical miles from the threshold. Speedbrakes were extended at 580 feet, remaining deployed. Airspeed exceeded 200 knots until 400 feet. Landing gear and full flap were selected at about 350 feet, with speed reducing. The EGPWS alerts recorded included Mode 4A "TOO LOW TERRAIN" alerts due to unsafe terrain clearance with gear up, and Mode 1 "SINK RATE" alerts.