What happened
On 4 July 1998, a Socata TB9 Tampico, registration G-BHIT, was conducting a private pleasure flight from Biggin Hill to Sandown Airport. The aircraft was operating at near its maximum takeoff weight. During the flight, the pilot encountered challenging conditions, including a cloudbase that was lower than anticipated and difficulties maintaining visual separation from other aircraft.
Upon arriving at Sandown, the pilot attempted several approaches. The initial approach was aborted because the aircraft was too high, and a subsequent attempt was abandoned due to the presence of a helicopter near the runway threshold. For the third attempt, the pilot utilized a short field technique to account for the displaced threshold on runway 05. The aircraft touched down approximately two-thirds of the way down the 775-metre runway. Due to the presence of a downslope on the runway, the pilot could not stop the aircraft within the remaining distance. The aircraft eventually came to a halt on rough terrain roughly 75 metres past the runway end. There were no fatalities or injuries among the four people on board.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report form provided by the pilot. Investigators examined the environmental conditions, the aircraft's performance, and the pilot's recent flying history. The pilot noted that the flight had been stressful due to the weather and the fact that one passenger was feeling unwell during the circuit phase of the flight. The aircraft sustained damage to the right wing, the inboard wing root, and the wheel spat.