ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 245879
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| Date: | Tuesday 2 December 1997 |
| Time: | 17:53 |
| Type: | Piper PA-31 T1 Cheyenne |
| Owner/operator: | Aircraft Guarantee Corporation Trustee |
| Registration: | N817CT |
| MSN: | 31T-1104010 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1984 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | Biggin Hill Airport, Biggin Hill, Bromley, Kent -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Frankfurt am Main Airport, Frankfurt, Germany (FRA/EDDF) |
| Biggin Hill Airport, Biggin Hill, Bromley, Kent (BQH/EGKB) | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Piper PA-31 T1 Cheyenne 1A, N817CT: Built 1984. Substantially damaged in a landing accident in snowy conditions at Biggin Hill Airport, Biggin Hill, Bromley, Kent on 2 December 1997. According to the following excerpt from the AAIB Report into the incident:
"Towards the completion of an IFR flight from Frankfurt the pilot, accompanied by a co-pilot who held a US ATPL(A), Instrument Rating and Instructor Rating, obtained a METAR report for Biggin Hill. The report was: wind 350°/08 knots, visibility 1,500 metres in moderate snow, broken cloud at 200 feet, overcast cloud at 300 feet, temperature +1°C, dew point -1°C and QNH1009 Hpa.
Further difficulties were presented by 12mm of wets now covering more than 50% of the runway area with poor braking action and no glidepath available for the ILS approach to Runway 21.
Whilst considering the diversion options, the crew were informed that an aircraft had just landed and reported the braking action as poor, and that another aircraft was making an approach. ATC also reported a cleared runway width of 15 metres either side of the centreline with a shallow deposit of wet snow on the 'cleared' area.
Having calculated a crosswind component of 4 knots and tailwind component of 6 knots, the crew determined that the required landing distance without additions was 1,250 feet. With a landing distance available of 5,505 feet and ample fuel remaining the crew decided to attempt an ILS/DME approach to Runway 21 using 20° flaps. They planned to use partial reverse thrust on the roll-out because of a reduction in directional stability associated with use of full reverse thrust.
The approach progressed well and the crew broke out of cloud at about 500 feet agl. From that point onwards the runway was continuously in sight. At 100 feet agl the propellers were set to fully finepitch and the throttles were retarded to idle thrust. Touchdown occurred at 90 Knots IAS on the centreline some 50 metres to 100 metres beyond the threshold. Initially the landing roll proceeded normally but after the full weight of the aircraft settled onto the landing gear, the aircraft's nose went to the left. The pilot applied full rudder, aileron, right wheel braking and some reverse pitch, but he was unable to correct the yaw to the left.
As the aircraft reached the side of the runway it struck a snow bank which rotated it further to the left. It departed the paved surface at a speed of about 20 knots to 30 knots but heading some 140° to the left of the runway heading. The aircraft came to rest on a heading of about 050° a few metres to the left of the runway adjacent to the lengthwise mid-point.
The crew secured the engines and the rescue service arrived promptly but there were no injuries and no need for emergency evacuation. The pilot attributed the accident to a frozen left wheel brake. The aircraft had departed Frankfurt in slushy conditions, and the soft touchdown on slush at Biggin Hill was insufficient to unfreeze the
wheel brakes. However, the ATC controller who witnessed the landing reported that the left main gear collapsed before the aircraft spun to the left and departed the runway".
Damage sustained to airframe: Per the above AAIB report "Left main gear collapsed and left powerplant damaged; right main gear bent; collateral damage to left wing and left elevator". Aircraft presumably repaired and returned to service, as the registration N817CT was cancelled 10/2/2001 as "Exported to Khazakstan"
Sources:
1. AAIB: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f007ed915d13710002b5/dft_avsafety_pdf_500853.pdf
2. https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=817CT
3. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N817CT.html
4. https://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=18056.0
5. https://rzjets.net/aircraft/?typeid=366
6. https://www.laasdata.com/turbos/turbo-by-type.php?t=25
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 20-Dec-2020 21:31 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
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