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Birmingham Airport closed 'light aircraft crash

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MartinW View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MartinW Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Birmingham Airport closed 'light aircraft crash
    Posted: 19 Nov 2010 at 5:56pm
Wow, my local airport, just a few miles away.
 
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All flights at Birmingham Airport have been suspended and the runway closed after a small aircraft is believed to have crashed near the site.

The ambulance service said two people had been taken to hospital.

One witness described seeing the plane on fire as it came into land at 1535 GMT and then "break into a fireball".

A Birmingham Airport spokesman said the aircraft involved was a private Cessna and all flights were currently suspended.

Eyewitness Dennis Gough, who was playing golf by the runway at the time, said he saw the plane coming in to land.

'Leaning to one side'

"As it was coming to land it was on fire and as as it approached the runway it looked like it was leaning to one side slightly," he said.

"Then, once it hit the runway there were sort of flames alongside the runway then it broke into a big fireball."

Map%20of%20Birmingham

Passengers due to use the airport have been advised to contact their airline first.

"The incident occurred on arrival into the airport and the emergency services are in attendance," an airport spokesman said.

"The airport is currently closed."

Manchester Airport and East Midlands Airport said they were taking diverted flights from Birmingham.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said the air ambulance and paramedics were at the scene.

 
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Edward Longe View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Edward Longe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Nov 2010 at 5:58pm
Read it just as I got in from College. Citation Jet apparently

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VulcanB2 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VulcanB2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Nov 2010 at 7:01pm
Need to wait for the report - an eyewitness said it was on fire on approach, but they all say that...

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Vulcan.
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VulcanB2 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VulcanB2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Nov 2010 at 9:04pm
The Manager of Birmingham Airports says that the aircraft was a Cessna Citation 501 executive jet, and that had been on a normal approach to the airport when it hit the ILS glideslope antenna, then crashed 300 ft to the right of the runway.

One was air-lifted to hospital, the other taken by ambulance. One is in critical condition.

The question is: how did they get to hit the antenna?

Best regards,
Vulcan.
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GEOFFERS View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GEOFFERS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Nov 2010 at 10:12pm
Originally posted by Vulcan B2 Vulcan B2 wrote:

The question is: how did they get to hit the antenna? Best regards,
Vulcan.
to low and not paying attention to the job Exclamation 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Edward Longe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Nov 2010 at 10:17pm
Edward's theory,
LVP's were in operation at the time. The Citation was on final approach and lost the glideslope. Looking for the runway, the pilots strayed of the to the right of the runway. Clipped the antenna and it damaged the aircraft's fusalage and crashed.
----Theory over----

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VulcanB2 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VulcanB2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Nov 2010 at 11:25pm
Interesting theory.

Best regards,
Vulcan.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TomA320 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Nov 2010 at 8:53am
I heard the aircraft was caring a lung ready to be transplanted, but fortunately no damage was done to it and the operation went ahead last night.
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MartinW View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MartinW Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Nov 2010 at 9:47am
The question is: how did they get to hit the antenna?
 
Where abouts are the antenna's usually situated Pointy?
I believe they are off to one side aren't they? In which case Edwards theory seems about right.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VulcanB2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Nov 2010 at 8:29pm
The glide slope is to one side and situated about 300 ft from the threshold, abeam the TDZ.

If they were simply low looking for the lights, they should still have been on the extended center line, and at no risk of hitting it.

The fact they were some distance to the side of the runway (over the grass) and at some altitude to hit the antenna, suggests they were doing something quite strange.

Anyone know what the actual weather was at the time of the accident?

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Vulcan.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Edward Longe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Nov 2010 at 8:47pm
The weather was foggy. The pilots must have attempted a go-around but for what ever reason failed to do so and clipped the antenna. 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GEOFFERS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Nov 2010 at 9:06pm
as time was a factor with a lung on the aircraft for transplant. a go-around or divert was out, the transplant was  upper most in the pilots mind. it's not the 1st time. I'm afraid it will not be the last.  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Slopey Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Nov 2010 at 9:58pm
This is all pure speculation - how do you know they attempted the go-around? And you don't attempt a go-around, you go missed at minima if you're not visual, end of story. This looks like press-on-itis.

Do, or do not, there is no try, as Master Yoda would say.

All we know at the moment is that they hit the antenna on the way to the ground.

What has emerged on other forums is that there was a thick bank of low fog over the threshold at the time of the approach - two aircraft came in before them and were off profile on the flare landing long.

Again speculation - but it looks like they possibly lost visual contact with the runway just at the wrong point - why they *did'nt* go around, we don't know yet.

But to say they tried a go-around is hogwash - if they had, they'd probably not have hit the deck!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dodgy-alan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Nov 2010 at 11:27pm
Whatever the cause I,ve no doubt a few of us have tried to replicate the approach by now in an effort to see what the situation looks like, I dont have a Citation on FS but a NA Sabreliner has a similar performance !!oh how I laughed
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hot_Charlie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Nov 2010 at 11:47pm
Originally posted by Edward Longe Edward Longe wrote:

Edward's theory,LVP's were in operation at the time. The Citation was on final approach and lost the glideslope. Looking for the runway, the pilots strayed of the to the right of the runway. Clipped the antenna and it damaged the aircraft's fusalage and crashed. ----Theory over----


Thankfully your theory may have been tried 50 or 60 years ago, but aviation is a little more professional these days.

Quote The fact they were some distance to the side of the runway (over the grass) and at some altitude to hit the antenna, suggests they were doing something quite strange.


Very true.

Quote as time was a factor with a lung on the aircraft for transplant. a go-around or divert was out, the transplant was upper most in the pilots mind. it's not the 1st time. I'm afraid it will not be the last.


I doubt that would have been a major factor, particularly if the weather was as bad as it seems to be reported. They'd hopefully be thinking of safely completing the approach (be it with a landing, or if necessary a go-around) to a reasonably busy airport in poor weather - and most certainly going around if necessary for another go. At the end of the day, a liver 15 minutes late is better than a liver either stuck in the middle of a crashed aircraft, or worse still, incinerated in any fire. Yes, they would probably have conducted the flight in the most expedient manner possible, but you wouldn't be pushing either the rules or yourself on an approach.

Quote This is all pure speculation - how do you know they attempted the go-around? And you don't attempt a go-around, you go missed at minima if you're not visual, end of story. This looks like press-on-itis.


Certainly a possibility - but that low? A modern glidepath aerial must only be 20ft high, maybe 30-40ft at a push. For their sakes you kind of hope that it turns out to be an aircraft malfunction, or perhaps more likely in this case - considering the weather - disorientation; possibly after over flying/correcting on the latter stages of the ILS...

Quote The Manager of Birmingham Airports says that the aircraft...   ...had been on a normal approach to the airport when it hit the ILS glideslope antenna.


Someone should tell him that isn't normal!


Anyway, at least they're all ok, and the liver got where it was needed.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dodgy-alan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Nov 2010 at 11:51pm








Anyway, at least they're all ok, and the liver got where it was needed. [/QUOTE]
Well if the aircraft was on fire then the liver was probably nicely grilled, would go nice with some bacon, tomatoes , eggs, toast ...........Confused
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Slopey Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Nov 2010 at 12:24am
Quote Anyway, at least they're all ok,


Current news reports of one critical, one less seriously injured. Unless the critical one has been downgraded, they're far from "all ok"!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hot_Charlie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Nov 2010 at 1:14am
Originally posted by Slopey Slopey wrote:

Quote Anyway, at least they're all ok,


Current news reports of one critical, one less seriously injured. Unless the critical one has been downgraded, they're far from "all ok"!


Ok, I'll rephrase... They are alive, and god willing, will recover.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hot_Charlie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Nov 2010 at 1:18am
Originally posted by dodgy-alan dodgy-alan wrote:


Well if the aircraft was on fire then the liver was probably nicely grilled, would go nice with some bacon, tomatoes , eggs, toast ...........


I wouldn't be surprised if the container carrying the liver would be designed to "happily" withstand a more catastrophic incident, and possibly even a substantial fire.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GEOFFERS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Nov 2010 at 3:23am
Well if the aircraft was on fire then the liver was probably nicely grilled, would go nice with some bacon, tomatoes , eggs, toast [Quote] yuk don't like liver bacon, tomatoes , eggs, toast OK
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