[ad_1]
A plane carrying one of the Liverpool FC owners ran off the runway when the pilot “inadvertently” stepped on the brakes following a technical failure.
The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) found that a technical failure followed by ‘inadvertent’ braking by the pilot caused the plane to roll off the runway and cross a grassy edge upon landing at Liverpool John Lennon Airport. in December 2019.
Mike Gordon, chairman of Liverpool’s owners Fenway Sports Group, was on board with three others, but no one was injured.
Receive newsletters with the latest Liverpool ECHO news, sports and updates by registering here
The report said the nose wheel steering failed and the aircraft left the runway after “directional control” was lost.
The report’s conclusion read: “During the subsequent landing, directional control of the aircraft was lost, and the aircraft exited from the right side of the runway and headed for the grass.
“The captain, when applying the left rudder to try to keep the aircraft in a straight line, had inadvertently applied a brake to the right.
“As the aircraft slowed, the rudder to the left could not counteract the effect of this braking.”
(Image: John Powell / Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
The plane flew about 30 meters from the runway, but was not damaged, except that the wheels lifted the ground and left the plane muddy.
The flights were canceled as a specialist removal team and firefighters spent hours moving the plane and a runway inspection had to be carried out before the airport reopened.
The possibility of pilot fatigue was investigated because the incident occurred during the early morning hours, but the report concluded that both pilots were “alert and engaged.”
Stay up-to-date with what’s happening in your local area by entering your zip code below.
Receive newsletters with the latest Liverpool ECHO news, sports and updates by registering here
The report said that the pilot “did not know that he had applied pressure on the right brake pedal” because “the pedal forces are very light” and he had not been trained in “high speed differential braking”.
He reacted “based on instinct” and “with all his attention in trying to keep the aircraft straight,” he concluded.
[ad_2]
