History of Flight
The instructor arrived at Blackpool Airport at about 0800 hrs and worked part-time for a flying club. He checked the weather forecast before conducting four or five training flights with various students. The last of these flights landed at about 1350 hrs. At 1410 hrs, he departed on a further training flight with a student who was on about his sixth training flight. The instructor was the handling pilot. After takeoff, he became aware of a heavy shower in the vicinity and avoided it until it had passed the airfield. Due to the absence of a suitable visible horizon to conduct the intended exercises, he decided to curtail the lesson and return to the airport.
Accident Sequence
Blackpool ATC reported the wind for landing as “northerly at 21 kt gusting to 38 kt.” The instructor believed this referred to the wind being generally northerly; he did not appreciate that the wind was from 360°, the information ATC had intended to convey. He continued the approach but when he flared the aircraft for touchdown, he reported that a gust carried the aircraft across the runway, at which point he initiated a go-around. Almost immediately the left wing touched the runway and the aircraft landed heavily on its nosewheel, causing it to collapse. The propeller struck the ground and the aircraft veered to the right, coming to rest on the runway.
Weather Conditions
Throughout the day, the weather forecast included a surface wind of 18 kt from a direction between 330° and 340°, gusting to between 28 and 30 kt. The actual conditions from METARs showed wind speed between 13 and 21 kt from directions between 310° and 360°. Gusts of 26 to 30 kt were recorded at 1150 hrs, 1350 hrs, and 1450 hrs. At 1350 hrs, the METAR gave wind as 350°/19 kt gusting to 29 kt. After the instructor’s takeoff at 1410 hrs, the wind had veered further north, presenting a crosswind only 2 kt below the maximum demonstrated capability of 17 kt. The instructor misinterpreted the wind information and did not fully appreciate that the crosswind in gusts potentially exceeded the maximum demonstrated figure by some 10 kt.
Outcome
Neither pilot was injured and both vacated the aircraft normally, having first switched off the fuel and electrics. The aircraft sustained damage to the nosewheel and propeller.