737 written off after Exeter Airport landing

Cargo plane damaged beyond repair last year

A plane will never take to the skies again after being badly damaged in a heavy landing at Exeter Airport.

The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) has published its findings into the incident in January 2021.

It says that whilst approaching the airport "the aircraft became unstable after the point where the crew had declared it stable and continued with the approach."

It says the subsequent hard landing resulted in extensive damage to the aircraft.

The plane had already made one successful trip between Exeter and East Midlands Airport, but the landing at Exeter on the way back proved problematic.

During the final moments before landing, the plane had a 'sink rate' alert, resulting in a hard landing.

The commander said the aircraft “stopped flying” just before it landed.

The AAIB report said: "After the aircraft vacated the runway, it became apparent the aircraft was listing to the left. During the After Landing checks the co-pilot tried to select FLAPS UP, but they would not move.....As there was still brake accumulator pressure the crew were content to taxi the aircraft slowly the short distance onto Stand 10.

"Once on stand the listing became more obvious. It was then that the crew realised there was something “seriously wrong” with the aircraft"

The report continued: "The commander may have given the co-pilot the benefit of doubt and believed she had the ability to correct an approach that became unstable in the final few hundred feet of the approach."

In future, only the commander of the operator's planes may conduct the landing at Exeter Airport.

No one was injured in the incident.