Incident at Alderney this morning
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Incident at Alderney this morning
I heard that Alderney Airport was closed for a time this morning after a Trislanders wing made contact with the ground, the aircraft then diverted back to Guernsey. Does anyone have any further info on this?
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Having heard about this it got me wondering - why go back to Guernsey? I can imagine a very quiet cabin on the way back just waiting for the wing to fall off or something!
Also, as the trislander is a high winged plane it must have been over at a big angle to scrape the wing? Especially as the undercarriage is long too.... Unless I'm missing something.
Also, as the trislander is a high winged plane it must have been over at a big angle to scrape the wing? Especially as the undercarriage is long too.... Unless I'm missing something.
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There was a time that a Kondair (night freight) Trislander bounced off the North Sea en-route STN-AMS that caused the Pilot/Captain to wake up and, subsequently, make an emergency landing with some of the undercarriage no longer present!
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aceparts, I suspect it was a strong cross wind that caused the wing to make contact with the ground. The main runway at Alderney (08/26) is both short and narrow (877m x 23m) and it is also a tricky airport while flying in from the west with the cliffs so close to the threshold both to the south and to the west. In March 2007 I experienced how tricky a landing with strong wind from the southeast at Alderney could be. The captain of this Blue Islands Islander offered to meet us in a local pub to talk through this rough landing. The runway at Guernsey is almost twice as long and twice as wide (1463m x 45m) as the runway at Alderney. With being only 42 km apart and around 10 minutes flying time and to add to that Aurigny's home airport is GCI, the decision to fly back is very understandable.
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That makes sense now I guess. I've been in a Trislander landing about 60 times, 30 in Alderney and 30 elsewhere. I've only ever experienced go arounds in Bournemouth / Southampton but I guess the time will come.
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Aurigny MD's Comment
The current edition of The Alderney Press quotes Malcolm Hart , MD of Aurigny as saying "Following an instrument approach procedure (NDB) the aircraft was slightly off the approach path when it emerged below a low cloud layer. As the pilot attempted to realign the aircraft with the runway centre-line the wingtip briefly made contact with the runway surface".
Any professional pilots care to comment ?
LF
Any professional pilots care to comment ?
LF
Last edited by LateFinals; 22nd Jan 2011 at 14:05. Reason: correct spelling of cloud
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Haven't flown that approach in well over fifteen years, anyone got a copy of the appraoch plate?
IIRC, the beacon is just short of the threshold for 26(?). With a non precision system minimum of 500' agl, plus any required company add on, a continuous descent profile would leave you to high to get in on a standard 3deg. slope if cloudbase was at minimums. (3deg is 300'/nm so the beacon would have to be about 1.6nm from the threshold for a 3deg slope). Of course if the cloudbase is well above 500' agl, then you can continue to descend visually and have time to make sure you're aligned with the runway. Along time ago, but I seem to recall that locally based pilots were much more adept at it.
Ndb approaches to 08 were always much more interesting, due to afore mentioned cliffs, coastal effect etc etc. Real challenging stuff.
IIRC, the beacon is just short of the threshold for 26(?). With a non precision system minimum of 500' agl, plus any required company add on, a continuous descent profile would leave you to high to get in on a standard 3deg. slope if cloudbase was at minimums. (3deg is 300'/nm so the beacon would have to be about 1.6nm from the threshold for a 3deg slope). Of course if the cloudbase is well above 500' agl, then you can continue to descend visually and have time to make sure you're aligned with the runway. Along time ago, but I seem to recall that locally based pilots were much more adept at it.
Ndb approaches to 08 were always much more interesting, due to afore mentioned cliffs, coastal effect etc etc. Real challenging stuff.
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http://www.ead.eurocontrol.int/eadba...2009-01-15.pdf
Only the one from the UK AIP, so has OCA. If I remember I'll have a look at our Jepp plate later this morning. Last time I went to Alderney was VFR in a PA31.
windypops
Only the one from the UK AIP, so has OCA. If I remember I'll have a look at our Jepp plate later this morning. Last time I went to Alderney was VFR in a PA31.
windypops
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Thanks windypops.
Very much as I remember. 400' agl at the beacon, roughly 1/4 mile from the threshold, gives a dirty dive to get in. Ay idea what the weather was in terms of cloudbase and vis? Pleased everyone got away unharmed.
ps likewise my last visit was also vfr in a DR400. Still recognised some of the ground staff, and came away with a Joey polo shirt for my lad. It was my first commercial job, learned a lot and had tremendous fun.
Very much as I remember. 400' agl at the beacon, roughly 1/4 mile from the threshold, gives a dirty dive to get in. Ay idea what the weather was in terms of cloudbase and vis? Pleased everyone got away unharmed.
ps likewise my last visit was also vfr in a DR400. Still recognised some of the ground staff, and came away with a Joey polo shirt for my lad. It was my first commercial job, learned a lot and had tremendous fun.
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That sounds a bit nasty. To clarify on the 1986 Kondair incident, here's a bit from my book regarding the history of aviation in Alderney about the scrape with the North Sea...
As far as I know, the NDB is placed slightly to the right of the 26 approach and far enough back that it does not pose a significant problem.
I would speculate that the aircraft would have returned to Guern so Anglo-Normandy (aurigny engineering) could have a look at it.
...the same year another Trislander, registered G-LCOC, was acquired. This aircraft was the subject of quite an interesting incident in September 1986 under the ownership of Kondair, a cargo and freight airline with three Trislanders, G-LCOC (then registered G-BCCU) being one of them. The pilot was flying from Amsterdam Schiphol to London Stansted at 1000ft. He nodded off half way through his journey and woke up 10 minutes later. He fell asleep again soon after, but this time the consequences of his ‘lack of attention’ were somewhat worse.
He was leaning forward on the control column, so the aircraft started to descend. He only woke up when the wheels were brushing the surface of the North Sea and so he took evasive action (albeit probably a little dozy!), and climbed back to 1000ft.
When he looked out of the window to check for external damage, he noticed that the right wheel was missing and the undercarriage leg was damaged, but he managed to limp back to London Stansted, where he landed safely... his lesson learnt and his future job prospects grave, no doubt!
He was leaning forward on the control column, so the aircraft started to descend. He only woke up when the wheels were brushing the surface of the North Sea and so he took evasive action (albeit probably a little dozy!), and climbed back to 1000ft.
When he looked out of the window to check for external damage, he noticed that the right wheel was missing and the undercarriage leg was damaged, but he managed to limp back to London Stansted, where he landed safely... his lesson learnt and his future job prospects grave, no doubt!
I would speculate that the aircraft would have returned to Guern so Anglo-Normandy (aurigny engineering) could have a look at it.
