Passenger plane forced to divert as ice jammed controls

Published on Wednesday 7 October 2009 22:00

A CHARTER plane with ten passengers on board had to make an emergency diversion, shadowed by two RAF fighter jets, after the aircraft's tail elevator controls became jammed by ice.

A report by the government's Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) has revealed that the aircraft – a Jetstream 41 twin turbo prop plane – had not been properly de-iced and treated before the plane took off from Aberdeen Airport.

The inspectors' report states: "The commander's fitness to fly, coupled with the pressures he may have felt to operate the flight, may have been contributory factors to the incident."

The incident, described as "serious" by the AAIB inspectors, happened on 9 April, 2008. The aircraft was due to take ten passengers to Vagar in the Faroe Islands. Pilots must have special training to land there.

The 63-year-old freelance pilot had been engaged specifically to operate the flight as no other trained captain was available in Aberdeen. He travelled there the day before the flight, but was recovering from a bad cold when he reported for duty.

Snow was falling at Aberdeen Airport as the pilot and co-pilot prepared for take off. However, the pilot decided that the aircraft did not require fluid de-icing and that snow could be swept off the plane by the ground crew.

The aircraft then took off, but a short time later the commander discovered that the elevators were immovable. The pilot sent out a Mayday call and two RAF Tornado jets were scrambled to shadow the stricken aircraft. A search and rescue helicopter was placed on standby as the Jetstream diverted to Wick Airport in Caithness, where there was warmer air.

As the plane descended into Wick, the pilots forced the controls forward and were still at 4,000ft when the controls suddenly became free and they regained control of the plane.