The unbelievable incident took place on a flight between Steigen and Bodø in Nordland. The small plane, with three passengers, had first flown smoothly from Bodø to Steigen. However, on the return trip, things went wrong. Between Engeløy Airport and Bodø Airport, there are approximately 80 kilometers as the crow flies. The pilot saw trees and bushes in front of him. But before he hit them, he pulled aggressively. He had miscalculated and did not get off the field fast enough. A small collision took place. Which resulted in the plane getting a “blind passenger”. Kåre Halvorsen, Director of Aviation at the AIBN. Photo: Kristina Kalinina / news – It is not often that people come flying with barbed wire hanging behind them, confirms Kåre Halvorsen from the AIBN. It appears from the report to the AIBN. The incident happened in 2020. Flying on The pilot chose to continue to the planned destination, which was Bodø Airport. On the way to Bodø, the pilot called the tower to explain what had happened, and asked for assistance. Another pilot received the message and took on the task of investigating the extent of the damage to the aircraft. They quickly ascertained that barbed wire hung from the left tail surface and that there was visible damage to the left main base. In addition, there was visible damage to the left chassis sledge and scratch marks under the abdomen of the aircraft. Photo: Private The pilot who inspected the aircraft, however, did not consider the damage to be critical. The pilot could therefore land as usual at Bodø airport. Personal error – The pilot was relatively experienced, but he had not been to this airport before, says Halvorsen. The casualty manager believes the situation could have become much more serious. – First, the pilot could have failed to overcome the obstacle. – There could also have been greater damage to the plane during the collision, and that there had been problems on the way to the destination or during landing, Halvorsen says. The three people under the table escaped with the horror. But the report concludes that the pilot was not attentive enough during the departure. Gressbane Halvorsen describes Engeløy Airport in Steigen as a so-called “non-regulated airport”. This means that it does not have the same security requirements as other airports. – It has, among other things, a grass cover, as opposed to asphalt or more solid cover, says Halvorsen. He believes that there are fewer pilots who have experience with grass cover. The airport has a 600 m long runway with grass cover. Photo: Stian Fosdahl Vaag Like the report, Halvorsen concludes that lessons must be learned from the incident. – Those who choose to fly to such a place, must understand what is required and take precautions, he says. Nothing wrong with the runway The chairman of the board at Engeløy airport, Stian Fosdahl Vaag, describes the incident as an accident. – I do not know exactly what happened, but the airport was as it should be, Vaag says. He believes the airport has good security routines. – We use incidents like this internally when we have a review of safety routines. There are other considerations you have to take on grass runways, he says. – The difference between asphalt and grass is that the grass leads to increased resistance. It will vary regardless of how high the grass is and whether it is wet, Vaag explains. To be allowed to use the turf, there is a checklist you must go through for safety reasons. It is also part of the pilots’ training, but it varies depending on how much experience the pilot has.
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Propeller plane crashed into fence in Steigen – news Nordland
