A STRING of errors which led to the crash-landing of a cargo plane could have resulted in catastrophe, according to a new report.
The TNT Airways Boeing 737 performed the procedure at East Midlands Airport at 4.40am before taking off again and making an emergency landing at Birmingham.
Part of the Belgian plane’s undercarriage was missing after the incident and the right main landing gear detached from the wing during the accident on June 15th, 2006.
Up to 200 domestic flights had to be cancelled or diverted, although neither of the two crew members were injured.
The report released today by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch states: “The circumstances of this event could easily have led to a catastrophic accident.
“Actions by individuals which contributed to the accident were either inappropriate or were not in compliance with existing procedures.
“Non-compliance with procedures, whether inadvertent or deliberate, can be difficult to prevent and can only be addressed by effective training,” it added.
The drama started when air traffic control conveyed an incorrect message to the plane during its descent.
This confused the pilot who disconnected the autopilot system while attempting to reply, causing the plane to lose speed and height.
The crew did not make a decision to perform a ‘go-around’ – where a plane aborts a landing and returns to circuit height – until it was too late and the jet came down on a grassed area.
Other factors included a faulty weather report which made no indication of the mist and fog which occurred, and the training of the co-pilot was also said to be ineffective in regards to his knowledge of the go-around manoeuvre.
Both pilots may have also been affected by tiredness, and a series of ‘unusual incidents’ during the flight may have added to workload and caused a loss of situational awareness.
The plane was on route from Liege Airport in Belgium to London Stanstead, but it was diverted to East Midlands due to the bad weather.
Belgian based TNT sacked the pilots after the incident, saying it was down to human error.
The report recommends that the Belgian Aviation Authority require the airline to review their operation procedures to ensure that it is clear to all pilots when a go-around is required.
The report recommends that the Belgian Aviation Authority require the airline to review their operation procedures to ensure that it is clear to all pilots when a go-around is required.
