| Date: | Tuesday 30 March 1999 |
| Time: | 20:00 |
| Type: |  Cessna 550 Citation II |
| Owner/operator: | Flight Consultancy Services Ltd |
| Registration: | VP-CTJ |
| MSN: | 550-0073 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1979 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 6714 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 8 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial, repaired |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Newquay-St Mawgan RAF Station (NQY) -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Lisboa-Portela de Sacavém Airport (LIS/LPPT) |
| Newquay-St Mawgan RAF Station (NQY/EGDG) | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
Substantially damaged 30-3-1999 when struck the AR15 surveillance radar marker and PAR reflector on landing at St Mawgan Airport, Mawgan in Pydar, 4 nautical miles north-east of Newquay, Cornwall. No injuries reported to the 8 persons on board (pilot and 7 passengers). According to the following excerpt from the official AAIB report into tie accident: "The aircraft left Lisbon Airport, Portugal at 17:50 hours for a flight to St Mawgan Airport, Cornwall; it was a single pilot operation. The commander contacted St Mawgan Air Traffic Control when he was about 200 nautical miles from the Airport and was given the current weather. The surface wind was 160 degrees/10 knots and Runway 13 was in use. However, the commander asked for an ILS approach to Runway 31 because he considered that a coupled ILS approach even with a tailwind was a better option than a PAR approach to Runway 13. The commander reported that he flew an uneventful coupled approach. He was cleared to land at 4 nautical miles when the surface wind was given as "170 degrees 12 knots which is a 7 knot tailwind". He disconnected the autopilot when he became visual with the runway at, he estimated, 280 feet agl. He told the Tower controller that he was visual "about 200 feet" and was asked if he wanted the runway lights turned down; he replied that he did not. The commander thought that the visual part of the approach was normal until, at about 140 feet agl, he was "temporarily blinded by the landing lights reflecting from light mist drifting through my vision". He was about to initiate a missed approach when the runway became visual again. However, a higher than normal rate of descent had developed and the aircraft sank rapidly into the glare of the approach lights. The commander's own words graphically describe the final stage of the approach: " ......... I was well below the glideslope. I applied full power, pulled back on the control column, felt a light bump and landed on the runway." The aircraft landed at 20:00 hours and it was subsequently confirmed that it had struck and damaged both the AR15 surveillance radar marker and PAR reflector. On the final approach into St Mawgan the aircraft was below the cover of the radar sites from which recorded data is normally available, consequently no confirmation of the approach path was possible. The PAR was set up for Runway 13 so the approach was not monitored." Damage sustained to airframe: Per the AAIB report " The first impact was on the forward underside of the left wing, just outboard of the main landing gear. As the aircraft moved forward one or both of the markers struck the area of the left flap which was of composite construction. Initial visual inspection at the engineering facility indicated that damage was confined to Zone 521 and the left flap assembly; Zone 521 is forward of the wing spar between Wing Station (WS) 79.00 and WS 145.75. The left lower wing skin leading edge was dented between WS 92.00 and WS 150.00. Removal of the skin revealed that the wing rib, from the spar to the leading edge at WS 109, was buckled on the lower edge. The leading edge nose rib at WS 100.50 was buckled on the lower aft and aft edges. The lower left forward stringer between WS 79.00 and WS 109.50 was slightly bowed at the outboard section. The left flap assembly was damaged beyond economic repair" The aircraft was later cleared for one ferry flight to Biggin Hill, Kent for permanent repairs to be effected.
Accident investigation:
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