What happened
On 20 February 2002, a Gulfstream American G-1159A Gulfstream 3, registered N123TL, was completing a private flight from Goose Bay, Labrador, Canada, to Coventry Airport. During the landing on Runway 23, the pilot utilized right aileron and left rudder to maintain alignment against a crosswind from the right. The crew reported that the approach felt stable, noting an absence of gusts and satisfactory runway conditions.
Upon touchdown, the nosewheel was lowered, and control of the yoke was transferred to the first officer as per the pre-landing briefing. While the commander managed the nosewheel steering, the crew applied reverse thrust alongside full left rudder and right aileron. Despite these efforts, the aircraft began a rightward turn. The commander attempted to regain directional control using braking, differential reverse thrust, and nosewheel steering, but the aircraft drifted off the paved surface. The aircraft crossed an intersecting taxiway before coming to a rest on the grass to the northwest of the runway. There were no injuries to the two crew members or the single passenger, and the aircraft sustained no structural damage, though the landing gear was heavily coated in mud.
The investigation
The investigation examined meteorological data and aircraft performance limits. At the time of the incident, the airport's ATIS reported a wind of 290 degrees at 18 knots, but air traffic control had reported more severe conditions, with winds from 310 degrees at 22 knots and gusts reaching 28 knots. A subsequent weather observation confirmed winds of 300 degrees at 21 knots with gusts up to 34 knots, noting the presence of water patches on the runway.
Met Office data revealed that a low-pressure system over the North Sea was generating a strong, unstable north-westerly flow over the region. This resulted in heavy squally showers and wind gusts as high as 36 knots in the surrounding hours. Crucially, the investigation noted that the wind gusts exceeded the aircraft's maximum demonstrated crosswind limit of 21 knots for landing.