ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 359384
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| Date: | Wednesday 16 August 2023 |
| Time: | 09:55 UTC |
| Type: |  Britten-Norman BN-2T Islander |
| Owner/operator: | Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) |
| Registration: | G-BSWR |
| MSN: | 2245 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1991 |
| Engine model: | Allison 250-B17C |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Minor |
| Category: | Serious incident |
| Location: | near Tandragee, Craigavon, County Armagh -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Aerial patrol |
| Departure airport: | Belfast International Airport (BFS/EGAA) |
| Belfast International Airport (BFS/EGAA) | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A Britten-Norman BN-2T Islander, G-BSWR, exerienced vibration and rudder control problems in flight near Tandragree, Northern Ireland 16 August 2023.
The aircraft encountered severe shaking, particularly affecting the rudder pedals. Despite the challenging yaw control, the pilot managed to maintain control. A rear-seat observer estimated that the top of the vertical stabilizer moved side-to-side by approximately 30 to 40 cm. Concerned about the aircraft’s structural integrity, the pilot declared an emergency and diverted to a nearby private airstrip. The landing was uneventful but described as “severely shaking”.
Aircraft Examination: Upon inspection, it was discovered that the rudder trim tab had disconnected from its control rod. The missing bolt, nut, and split pin were not recovered, preventing a definitive cause assessment. Minor damage was found on the rudder skin and trim tab attachment structure. The bearing in the control rod eye-end was deemed acceptable for further flight. The aircraft manufacturer repaired it according to a bespoke scheme.
Interestingly, the manufacturer did not believe that the lost bolt could lead to catastrophic failure, and no previous occurrences were reported
=Damage to airframe=
Per the above AAIB report damage sustained was "Rudder trim tab disconnected, minor damage to rudder skin and trim tab attachment structure".
The same aircraft had been previously involved in an incident at Belfast Airport on 13 July 2011 (see separate entry)
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB Final Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65eaf87f62ff48ff7487b291/BN2T-Islander_G-BSWR_03-24.pdf
2. https://www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/G-BSWR/676443
3. https://www.radarbox.com/data/registration/G-BSWR
4. https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/g-bswr/
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_Service_of_Northern_Ireland#Air_support
History of this aircraft
. Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 13 July 2011 | G-BSWR | Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) | 0 | Belfast International Airport, Belfast Northern Ireland | |
min |
| Law Enforcement | ||||||
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Mar-2024 09:56 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 15-Mar-2024 09:59 | ASN | Updated [Aircraft type, Narrative, Accident report] |
| 15-Mar-2024 10:00 | ASN | Updated [Location, Destination airport] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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