What happened
On the afternoon of the accident, a Loganair flight operating as LC4SB, a DHC-6 Twin Otter, was performing a scheduled service from Glasgow Airport to Islay/Port Ellen. The crew consisted of a company supervisory captain acting as commander and a handling pilot who was in the process of completing supervised route flights for command qualification.
After receiving taxi clearance at 14:44, the aircraft departed runway 28 at 14:48. Although originally filed under an IFR flight plan via a Standard Instrument Departure to the Skipness VOR, ATC cleared the aircraft direct to Skipness at FL55. The aircraft reached the Skipness VOR at 15:08. At this stage, controllers instructed the crew to exit controlled airspace and contact Port Ellen, noting no conflicting traffic was present.
Following the passage over Skipness, the aircraft deviated from the required 272° radial, instead turning left by 15° and descending toward the southern portion of Islay. At 15:10, the crew contacted the Islay/Port Ellen radio operator to request weather updates and estimated an arrival time of 15:23. The reported weather included visibility of 2000 metres in drizzle and low cloud ceilings.
As the descent continued, the aircraft tracked approximately 260° Magnetic. It eventually disappeared from radar surveillance at 1400 feet, roughly 12 nautical miles from the destination aerodrome. While the radio operator provided further weather updates regarding heavy drizzle, the aircraft was actually flying at a very low altitude parallel to the southern coast. Despite reporting being "over Port Ellen," the aircraft was actually turning inland over Laphroaig. Shortly after this turn, the aircraft struck rising ground obscured by fog at an altitude of approximately 360 feet.
Findings
- The commander permitted the handling pilot to attempt a visual approach despite meteorological conditions being entirely unsuitable for such maneuvers.
- Navigation errors contributed to the aircraft's deviation from its intended path and subsequent impact with terrain.