Background
On the evening of 12 March 1986, a flight plan was filed for a trip from Cologne, Germany, to Southend, England. The pilot, who had a company colleague as his sole passenger, obtained weather details for Southend by telephone at 0650 hours on 13 March 1986.
Flight and Approach
The aircraft departed Cologne at 0714 hours and flew without incident at Flight Level 220 via airways until cleared by air traffic control to descend toward Southend. At 0820 hours, the pilot established radio communication with the approach controllers. He was given current weather conditions and stated he would attempt the approach. He requested and received radar guidance to land on runway 24 at Southend.
Published operating minima for a 3 cm surveillance radar approach specified an Obstacle Clearance Limit of 280 feet. The recommended Decision Height and Runway Visual Range, as per the UK Air Pilot, were 380 feet and 800 meters respectively. Radar guidance was terminated at half a nautical mile from touchdown. The approach was flown accurately in azimuth, with advisory heights to maintain a 3° glide path relayed to the pilot. The aircraft's flight path was observed on the London Air Traffic Control descent profile. The radar talkdown ended at half a mile, and the aircraft was cleared to land.
Accident
When the aircraft was not sighted from the control tower at the expected landing time, the alarm was raised. Fire service personnel, already on weather standby, initiated a search. It was discovered that the aircraft had crashed near an industrial estate approximately half a mile from the threshold of runway 24. Witnesses saw the aircraft on a normal approach path but at a height considered lower than usual. Two eyewitnesses reported the aircraft banking sharply left before crashing into a small field.
Aftermath
A minor post-impact fire occurred in the area of the left engine, which was quickly extinguished by first responders using a handheld extinguisher. The passenger was assisted in opening the main cabin door and was escorted from the wreckage. The pilot died on impact. The passenger, who had been seated in a rearward-facing seat behind the copilot's station, reported glimpsing the ground shortly before the crash but could provide no information about its cause.