Aircraft and Crew
A BAe ATP (registration SE-MAO, serial number 2011), built in 1989, was operating a commercial cargo flight from Guernsey Airport to Birmingham International Airport. The aircraft was powered by two Pratt and Whitney Canada PW126 turboprop engines. The flight crew consisted of two pilots: the commander, aged 57, held an Airline Transport Pilot’s Licence with 4,984 total flying hours (211 on type), and the co-pilot was the pilot flying for the first approach.
History of the Flight
Departing at 1142 UTC, the flight proceeded to Birmingham, where the forecast indicated strong south-westerly winds with good visibility and a high cloud base. The crew conducted a Localiser DME approach to Runway 33. During the first approach, the aircraft drifted right of the centreline during the flare, with the nose about 20° left of the runway direction. A go-around was initiated, and the aircraft climbed away for a second approach.
For the second approach, the commander became pilot flying. As the aircraft approached, air traffic control reported the wind as 230° at 14 kt, gusting 27 kt. The aircraft touched down at 1258 UTC and soon departed the paved runway to the left. The distance from the point where the aircraft first left the paved surface to where the last wheel returned was approximately 450 m. After coming to a stop, ground operations personnel inspected the aircraft, after which the crew taxied to a stand. Subsequent engineering inspections found no damage, though one main wheel tyre was replaced due to uneven wear. The crew, the only occupants, were uninjured.
Recorded Information
The aircraft was equipped with a cockpit voice recorder and a flight data recorder (FDR) with limited parameters due to the aircraft's age. Additionally, a solid-state quick access recorder (μQAR) captured flight data. Airport CCTV and video from a witness outside the airfield boundary were reviewed. Flight data analysis showed that during the landing roll, the heading veered left of the runway centreline. Full right rudder was applied but insufficient to correct the deviation. Full right aileron was applied after touchdown, causing the left main gear to lift off the runway. The aircraft left the paved surface about five seconds after touchdown and returned to the runway about seven seconds later, on a parallel track.
Meteorological Conditions
The weather on the day was influenced by a low-pressure area west of the UK, bringing a moderate to fresh south-westerly flow across the Birmingham area. Gusts reached 25 kt in the morning, increasing to 31 kt by early afternoon. The wind direction varied between 190° and 280°. Visibility and cloud bases remained good. The airport had received little recent rainfall, and the ground was dry and hard.
Airfield Information
Birmingham Airport has a single runway, orientated 15/33. Runway 33 has a landing distance available of 2,449 m. A NOTAM indicated the ILS glidepath was unavailable due to ongoing work. Two anemometers, one for each runway, were located abeam the touchdown zones.
Safety Action
Following the incident, the operator introduced a crosswind limit for new co-pilots and incorporated crosswind landing training into simulator sessions.