Flight carrying 50 passengers 'damaged during heavy landing'

A flight carrying over 50 passengers from Edinburgh to Belfast sustained damaged during a “heavy” landing, an investigation has found.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) found the aircraft, which left Edinburgh at around 9.30am on Saturday, December 30, sustained damage during high winds when landing.

53 passengers and four crew were onboard the flight when the left main landing gear and nose landing gear contacted the runway “heavily” during a second approach to Belfast City Airport.

The pilot elected to divert to to Belfast International Airport, where the aircraft landed “uneventfully”.

There were no reported injuries, the AAIB found.

According to the investigation report, the operator said that the nosewheel tyres were damaged and when the wheels were removed, the left nosewheel axle was slightly bent.

The AAIB said it considers the event arose from a “normal operating hazard”.

It said: “The landing gear sustained damage during a heavy touch down after the aircraft became destabilised, due to wind effects experienced during the flare, immediately before touchdown.”

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