Irish AAIU Says Crew 'Marginally Avoided' Ground Impact

A Ryanair flight crew descended over well below minimums on approach to Knock Airport last March in what investigators are calling a "serious incident."

In a report released yesterday, Ireland's Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) said in part, "The captain and flight officer were so engrossed in trying to re-program the [aircraft’s computer] that they both lost their critical situational awareness for a time."

The crew had originally flight planned to fly the NDB approach to runway 09 at Knock, but the NDB was inoperative.

With the NDB approach to runway 09 at Knock Airport unavailable, ATC cleared the crew to use the ILS to 27 and circle to land on 09.

Decision height for the ILS to runway 27 is 200 feet, but the minimum altitude for circling is 1,300 feet. The reports says the crew abandoned the approach at 410 feet. During the approach, the flight recorders showed the aircraft descending at up to 2,200 feet per minute.

Contributing factors to the incident according to the report were uncertainty by the crew of the weather at Knock making uncertain the choice of runways, and the unavailability of several navigational aids because of maintenance.

The report also says the crew were inputting information on a recently commissioned nav aid not in the aircraft's computer.

According to the report, "The work overload meant that normal routine checks were not carried out and there was no questioning of the developing situation by either pilot."

Aside from blasting the crew, the report also slammed Ryanair for not reporting the incident until 12 days afterwards. The report called the lapse "unacceptable" and contrary to aviation regulations.

FMI: www.aaiu.ie