With regard to the Birmingham incident...
I don't think fining the guy was the right thing to do, yes he should have checked back with the last frequency but considering the suspected radio failure I can imagine a lot of pilots doing the same as he did under the pressure of the moment.
As for not seeing the Q400 the AAIB actually stated in their report that it would have been likely that the pilot would not see the aircraft considering the colour of the runway surface in that area and the likely focus point for viewing the runway from the approach path.
It was a poor display of airmanship perhaps but I fail to see the point in fining guy.
Last edited by Contacttower; 29th Aug 2012 at 17:58.