What happened
On 19 August 2001, a Piper PA-34-200T, registration G-RVRB, was involved in a ground incident at Manchester Airport. The aircraft, operated for cargo purposes, was being prepared for a flight to Copenhagen to deliver urgent spare parts. The crew arrived for duty in the early hours of the morning and completed preflight inspections following standard procedures.
After receiving air traffic control clearance, the commander began taxiing the aircraft toward the holding point for Runway 06L. During a left turn near taxiway 'A', the aircraft's path deviated from the paved area, causing the left main landing gear to travel across a grass section. Upon hearing an unusual noise during the maneuver, the pilot elected to return to the parking area to investigate the cause of the sound.
The investigation
An inspection of the aircraft following the incident revealed that the tips of the left propeller had sustained damage. The investigation considered the environmental conditions at the time of the event, noting that the airport was experiencing rain and visibility was limited to 5,000 metres. The crew of two escaped the incident with no injuries.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was that the turn was initiated too early, which resulted in the left main landing gear leaving the paved taxiway surface.
- Poor visibility due to rain and low ambient lighting levels at the time of the taxi contributed to the error.