Manx2 Flight 7100
Encyclopedia
Manx2 Flight 7100 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Belfast
, Northern Ireland to Cork
, Republic of Ireland. On 10 February 2011, the Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner 3
operating the route crashed on its third attempted landing at Cork Airport, killing six of the twelve people on board. The flight was operated for Manx2
using an aircraft leased from Flightline BCN of Barcelona
, Spain. This aircraft had veered off a runway in Mallorca
in 2004.
This was Irish aviation's deadliest crash since Air India Flight 182
. It led to the closure of the airport and the diversion of all flights. Investigations are under way.
, c/n BC-789B, registration
EC-ITP owned by Flightline BCN, based in Barcelona
, Spain. It was 19 years old at the time of the accident. On 21 May 2004, it was involved in an incident during take-off from Palma de Mallorca Airport
when it left the runway and ground-looped
. The aircraft suffered minor damage to the undercarriage and a propeller blade. The aircraft had undergone a maintenance check in the week before the accident occurred. The aircraft was wet lease
d from Flightline BCN.
The captain was Jordi López, a Spaniard, and copilot Andrew Cantle, from England. The captain had more than 1,800 hours experience on the aircraft type and was employed by the Spanish airline Flightline BCN. He was performing one of his first revenue-earning flights for Manx2, having recently been promoted from co-pilot.
and was due to land at 09:45 GMT, in Cork, where the weather was foggy. An initial attempt to land on runway 17 was aborted, as was an attempt to land on runway 35. At approximately 09:47, the right wing tip of the aircraft clipped the runway on its final landing attempt, the aircraft overturned, skidded for 200 metres (218.7 yd) inverted, departed the runway and caught fire. Six people were killed, including the pilot and co-pilot. A witness inside the airport terminal building stated that the fog was so thick that the crashed aircraft could not be seen. The injured were taken to Cork University Hospital
for treatment. Four had serious injuries, while two were walking wounded. As a result of the accident, Cork Airport was closed until the evening of 11 February.
Martin McGuinness
, the deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, revealed that he had intended to be on the flight, but had changed his travel plans. McGuinness was due to travel to Cork to campaign in the forthcoming Irish general election, scheduled for 25 February.
(AAIU) opened an investigation into the accident. The cockpit voice recorder
and flight data recorder
were recovered from the wreckage. Four personnel from the AAIU were on scene within 90 minutes of the accident. They completed their survey of the wreckage that day. The AAIU is being assisted in the investigation by personnel from the Air Accident Investigation Branch in the United Kingdom and the Civil Aviation Accident and Incident Investigation Commission
from Spain. Flightline BCN are also assisting the AAIU. Assistance is also being given by the Federal Aviation Administration
and National Transportation Safety Board
from the United States
The wreckage of the aircraft was transported to the AAIU's examination facility at Gormanston
, Co. Meath where investigators will reconstruct the aircraft as far as possible. By 14 February, five of the six survivors had been interviewed by the AAIU.
The preliminary report, issued on 16 March, stated that the aircraft, being flown by the co-pilot, had deviated from the runway centre-line at final approach and the crew decided to do a third go-around 4 seconds before impact. The plane rolled to the left and to the right, and the right wing then impacted the runway. A cockpit alarm, which is believed to be the stall warning horn, sounded repeatedly in the seven seconds prior to impact. No deficiencies in the aircraft or the airfield infrastructure were identified. Investigation is continuing and the report did not include any findings.
terminated their contract with Flightline BCN, who no longer provide any services for Manx2.
After the accident, Manx2 announced it would be ending its Belfast-City
/Cork route on 13 March 2011.
In April 2011, it was revealed that the European Aviation Safety Agency
had initiated a procedure to suspend the Air Operator's Certificate
of Flightline.
On 4 May 2011, the BBC Radio 4
programme Face the Facts
investigated the circumstances of the crash. It stated that the crew breached air safety regulations on all three approaches by descending below the decision height of 200 ft (61 m) before initiating a missed approach
. On 6 May, the Civil Aviation Authority
in the United Kingdom issued a Safety Notice advising all operators within the United Kingdom of new rules regarding Non-Precision Approaches and Minimum Descent Altitudes, applicable from 16 July 2011.
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland to Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, Republic of Ireland. On 10 February 2011, the Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner 3
Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner
The Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner or the Fairchild Aerospace Metro is a 19-seat, pressurised, twin turboprop airliner first produced by Swearingen Aircraft and later by Fairchild at a plant in San Antonio, Texas, United States....
operating the route crashed on its third attempted landing at Cork Airport, killing six of the twelve people on board. The flight was operated for Manx2
Manx2
Manx2 Limited is a virtual commuter airline, with its head office in Hangar 9, Isle of Man Airport in Ballasalla, Malew, Isle of Man. It sells flights and services from several airports in the UK with bases in Belfast City, Blackpool, Cardiff and Isle of Man...
using an aircraft leased from Flightline BCN of Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain. This aircraft had veered off a runway in Mallorca
Mallorca
Majorca or Mallorca is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea, one of the Balearic Islands.The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Cabrera Archipelago is administratively grouped with Majorca...
in 2004.
This was Irish aviation's deadliest crash since Air India Flight 182
Air India Flight 182
Air India Flight 182 was an Air India flight operating on the Montreal–London–Delhi route. On 23 June 1985, the airplane operating on the route a Boeing 747-237B named after Emperor Kanishka was blown up by a bomb at an altitude of , and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean while in Irish airspace.A...
. It led to the closure of the airport and the diversion of all flights. Investigations are under way.
Aircraft and crew
The aircraft was a Fairchild Swearingen SA.227BC Metro IIIFairchild Swearingen Metroliner
The Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner or the Fairchild Aerospace Metro is a 19-seat, pressurised, twin turboprop airliner first produced by Swearingen Aircraft and later by Fairchild at a plant in San Antonio, Texas, United States....
, c/n BC-789B, registration
Aircraft registration
An aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
EC-ITP owned by Flightline BCN, based in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain. It was 19 years old at the time of the accident. On 21 May 2004, it was involved in an incident during take-off from Palma de Mallorca Airport
Palma de Mallorca Airport
Palma de Mallorca Airport is an airport located east of Palma, Majorca, adjacent to the village of Can Pastilla. Also known as Son Sant Joan Airport or Aeroport de Son Sant Joan, it is the third largest airport in Spain, after Madrid's Barajas Airport and Barcelona Airport...
when it left the runway and ground-looped
Ground loop (aviation)
In aviation, a ground loop is a rapid rotation of a fixed-wing aircraft in the horizontal plane while on the ground. Aerodynamic forces may cause the advancing wing to rise, which may then cause the other wingtip to touch the ground...
. The aircraft suffered minor damage to the undercarriage and a propeller blade. The aircraft had undergone a maintenance check in the week before the accident occurred. The aircraft was wet lease
Wet lease
Aircraft leases are a number of types of leases used by airlines and other aircraft operators. Airlines lease aircraft from other airlines or leasing companies for two main reasons; to operate aircraft without the financial burden of buying them, and to provide temporary increase in capacity...
d from Flightline BCN.
The captain was Jordi López, a Spaniard, and copilot Andrew Cantle, from England. The captain had more than 1,800 hours experience on the aircraft type and was employed by the Spanish airline Flightline BCN. He was performing one of his first revenue-earning flights for Manx2, having recently been promoted from co-pilot.
Accident
The aircraft flew from Belfast City Airport, Northern Ireland. It departed at 08:12 GMTGreenwich Mean Time
Greenwich Mean Time is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. It is arguably the same as Coordinated Universal Time and when this is viewed as a time zone the name Greenwich Mean Time is especially used by bodies connected with the United...
and was due to land at 09:45 GMT, in Cork, where the weather was foggy. An initial attempt to land on runway 17 was aborted, as was an attempt to land on runway 35. At approximately 09:47, the right wing tip of the aircraft clipped the runway on its final landing attempt, the aircraft overturned, skidded for 200 metres (218.7 yd) inverted, departed the runway and caught fire. Six people were killed, including the pilot and co-pilot. A witness inside the airport terminal building stated that the fog was so thick that the crashed aircraft could not be seen. The injured were taken to Cork University Hospital
Cork University Hospital
Cork University Hospital , abbreviated as CUH, is the largest university teaching hospital in Ireland and is the only Level 1 trauma centre in the country due to the presence of over 40 different medical and surgical specialties on the campus. It is operated by the Health Service Executive...
for treatment. Four had serious injuries, while two were walking wounded. As a result of the accident, Cork Airport was closed until the evening of 11 February.
Martin McGuinness
Martin McGuinness
James Martin Pacelli McGuinness is an Irish Sinn Féin politician and the current deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. McGuinness was also the Sinn Féin candidate for the Irish presidential election, 2011. He was born in Derry, Northern Ireland....
, the deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, revealed that he had intended to be on the flight, but had changed his travel plans. McGuinness was due to travel to Cork to campaign in the forthcoming Irish general election, scheduled for 25 February.
Victims
The aircraft had a crew of two, and ten passengers. Both crew members and four of the passengers were killed.| Nationality | Crew | Passengers | Killed | Injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 BritishBritish The word British is an adjective referring in various ways to the United Kingdom or the island of Great Britain and its people and language.People... |
1 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
 IrishIrish Irish may refer to:*Irish cuisine* Ireland, an island in north-western Europe, on which are located:** Northern Ireland, a constituent country of the United Kingdom** Republic of Ireland, a sovereign state... |
– | 5 | 1 | 4 |
 SpanishSpanish Spanish may refer to:* Of or related to Spain* Spanish language, the official language of Spain and most of Latin America* Spanish people * The Spanish Empire, the empire administrated by Spain from the 15th century* Spanish cuisine... |
1 | – | 1 | – |
| Total | 2 | 10 | 6 | 6 |
Investigation
The Air Accident Investigation UnitAir Accident Investigation Unit
The Air Accident Investigation Unit is part of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport of the Republic of Ireland, and is responsible for the investigation of aircraft accidents and serious incidents within Ireland and in some cases to Irish registered aircraft elsewhere.The Air Accident...
(AAIU) opened an investigation into the accident. The cockpit voice recorder
Cockpit voice recorder
A cockpit voice recorder , often referred to as a "black box", is a flight recorder used to record the audio environment in the flight deck of an aircraft for the purpose of investigation of accidents and incidents...
and flight data recorder
Flight data recorder
A flight data recorder is an electronic device employed to record any instructions sent to any electronic systems on an aircraft. It is a device used to record specific aircraft performance parameters...
were recovered from the wreckage. Four personnel from the AAIU were on scene within 90 minutes of the accident. They completed their survey of the wreckage that day. The AAIU is being assisted in the investigation by personnel from the Air Accident Investigation Branch in the United Kingdom and the Civil Aviation Accident and Incident Investigation Commission
Civil Aviation Accident and Incident Investigation Commission
The Civil Aviation Accident and Incident Investigation Commission is the Spanish national agency responsible for air accident investigation. It is a division of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport...
from Spain. Flightline BCN are also assisting the AAIU. Assistance is also being given by the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
and National Transportation Safety Board
National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
from the United States
The wreckage of the aircraft was transported to the AAIU's examination facility at Gormanston
Gormanston, County Meath
Gormanston or Gormanstown is a village in County Meath, Ireland. It is near the mouth of the River Delvin and the northern border of County Dublin.-Access:Gormanston is near the M1 Dublin-Belfast road...
, Co. Meath where investigators will reconstruct the aircraft as far as possible. By 14 February, five of the six survivors had been interviewed by the AAIU.
The preliminary report, issued on 16 March, stated that the aircraft, being flown by the co-pilot, had deviated from the runway centre-line at final approach and the crew decided to do a third go-around 4 seconds before impact. The plane rolled to the left and to the right, and the right wing then impacted the runway. A cockpit alarm, which is believed to be the stall warning horn, sounded repeatedly in the seven seconds prior to impact. No deficiencies in the aircraft or the airfield infrastructure were identified. Investigation is continuing and the report did not include any findings.
Aftermath
Due to the accident, Manx2Manx2
Manx2 Limited is a virtual commuter airline, with its head office in Hangar 9, Isle of Man Airport in Ballasalla, Malew, Isle of Man. It sells flights and services from several airports in the UK with bases in Belfast City, Blackpool, Cardiff and Isle of Man...
terminated their contract with Flightline BCN, who no longer provide any services for Manx2.
After the accident, Manx2 announced it would be ending its Belfast-City
George Best Belfast City Airport
George Best Belfast City Airport is a single-runway airport in Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Situated adjacent to the Port of Belfast it is from Belfast City Centre. It shares the site with the Short Brothers/Bombardier aircraft manufacturing facility...
/Cork route on 13 March 2011.
In April 2011, it was revealed that the European Aviation Safety Agency
European Aviation Safety Agency
The European Aviation Safety Agency is an agency of the European Union with offices in Cologne, Germany, which has been given regulatory and executive tasks in the field of civilian aviation safety. It was created on 15 July 2002, and it reached full functionality in 2008, taking over functions...
had initiated a procedure to suspend the Air Operator's Certificate
Air Operator's Certificate
An air operator's certificate is the approval granted from a national aviation authority to an aircraft operator to allow it to use aircraft for commercial purposes. This requires the operator to have personnel, assets and system in place to ensure the safety of its employees and the general public...
of Flightline.
On 4 May 2011, the BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
programme Face the Facts
Face the Facts
Face the Facts is a consumer affairs programme on BBC Radio 4, featuring investigative journalism, that has been running since the mid-1980s. Currently introduced by John Waite, cousin of the well-known humanitarian and churchman Terry Waite, it usually focuses on individuals or organisations...
investigated the circumstances of the crash. It stated that the crew breached air safety regulations on all three approaches by descending below the decision height of 200 ft (61 m) before initiating a missed approach
Missed approach
Missed approach is an instrument flight rules procedure which is a standard component segment of an instrument approach. Generally, if the pilot flying or the pilot in command determines by the time the aircraft is at the decision height or missed approach point , that the runway or its...
. On 6 May, the Civil Aviation Authority
Civil Aviation Authority
This is a list of national and supra-national civil aviation authorities.-See also:* Air route authority between the United States and the People's Republic of China* National Transportation Safety Board -External links:****...
in the United Kingdom issued a Safety Notice advising all operators within the United Kingdom of new rules regarding Non-Precision Approaches and Minimum Descent Altitudes, applicable from 16 July 2011.