Aircraft and Crew
The aircraft involved was a Piper PA-34-200T, registration G-BSHA, manufactured in 1976. It was powered by two Continental Motors TSIO-360-EB1 piston engines. The pilot, aged 65, held an Airline Transport Pilot's Licence and had accumulated 26,686 flying hours, of which only 2 hours were on the accident type. In the preceding 90 days, he had flown 30 hours, including 10 hours in the last 28 days. There was one passenger on board; neither occupant sustained injuries.
Flight and Weather
The flight originated from Cardiff, Wales, with a destination of Southampton Airport in Hampshire. Before departure, the pilot obtained a weather forecast indicating visibility of 6,000 metres in haze and improving conditions. However, the forecast issued by the Meteorological Office, valid from 0600 to 1200 hours on the day of the accident, predicted widespread fog in the Southampton area with visibility of 300 metres, becoming isolated after 1000 hours. As the aircraft neared Southampton, the Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) reported visibility of 500 metres in fog and a broken cloudbase at 100 feet.
Approach and Landing
Shortly before 1000 hours, Air Traffic Control cleared the pilot for an Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach to Runway 20 at Southampton and passed a runway visual range (RVR) reading of 500 metres. The published instrument approach procedure required a minimum RVR of 800 metres for landing, as stipulated by the Air Navigation Order. The pilot flew the ILS down to the decision height of 280 feet, where he levelled off. Through a gap in the fog, he sighted the runway edge lights, closed the throttles, and touched down on the runway centreline. He was unable to determine by external visual reference how far down the runway he had landed.
Suddenly, the end of the runway became visible. The pilot applied brakes, but they seemed ineffective. The report notes the pilot was accustomed to anti-skid brakes and reverse thrust available on the commercial aircraft he flew regularly. Realizing he would not stop before the runway end, the pilot applied full left rudder to avoid the approach lights for Runway 02. The aircraft entered the arrester bed at the end of the runway, where the right main landing gear collapsed, and the aircraft came to rest approximately 15 metres into the bed.
Aftermath
At 1011 hours, the Air Traffic Controller heard the aircraft fly past the control tower but could not see it due to fog. Expecting a missed approach, the controller saw no radar return and requested the pilot to report his position. Receiving no reply, he activated the crash alarm. As emergency vehicles responded, the pilot radioed that he had landed but had gone off the end of the runway. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the landing gear.
Regulatory Context
The Air Navigation Order prohibits an aircraft not engaged in public transport from descending below 1,000 feet above the aerodrome if the RVR is less than the specified minimum for landing. For Runway 20 at Southampton, the minimum RVR was 800 metres, yet the aircraft proceeded with an RVR of 500 metres.