How the failure to deploy lift spoilers on an ungrooved runway caused an Atlantic Airways BAe 146 to hydroplane and crash.

Exactly 16 years ago today, on Tuesday, October 10, 2006, an Atlantic Airways British Aerospace BAe-146 overran the runway while landing at Stord-Sørstokken Airport (SRP), killing one crew member and three passengers.

The aircraft involved in the incident was a 19-year-old British Aerospace BAe-146-200A registered as OY-CRG was sold new to Pacific Southwest Airlines in the United States. After being with the San Diego-based airline for six months, it was sold to Faroe Islands national flag carrier Atlantic Airways.

Atlantic Airways Flight RC670 was a domestic non-scheduled passenger flight chartered by Oslo headquartered Oilfield services company Aker Kværner. The Norwegian engineering firm wanted to ferry employees from Stavanger-Sola Airport (SVG) in southwest Norway to the island of Stord.

In charge of the flight was 34-year-old Captain Niklas Djurhuus, assisted by 38-year-old First Officer Jakob Evald. The captain, who was the pilot flying, was familiar with Stord-Sørstokken Airport (SRP), having landed there 21 times previously.

The flight departed Sola at 07:15 in the morning for the short flight up the coast to Stord. The weather at the time was reported as good, with little wind and a few clouds at 2,500 feet. Visibility was also reasonable exceeding six miles. Before Captain Djurhuus lined up for his final approach on runway 15, he performed a routine runway inspection to ensure it was free of vehicles or debris.

There was no information available on whether the runway was wet or dry, leading the pilots to assume it was dry. Later investigations by the Norwegian Accident Investigation Board Norway (AIBN) revealed that it was wet at the time of the incident.

On landing, the aircraft's lift spoilers failed to deploy, and the indicator light that usually comes on did not do so, as the pilots announced, "no spoilers." Applying maximum brakes to slow the plane down, the wheels locked as the plane hydroplaned down the runway.

Hydroplaning or aquaplaning occurs when water builds up between the surface and the tires of a vehicle. This leads to a loss of traction, turning the aircraft into a virtual sled with no control of its direction or ability to stop.

Unable to stop, the plane overran the runway and slid down a steep slope, sustaining significant damage. When the aircraft finally came to a stop, the forward emergency exit was blocked by terrain. A fire on the left side of the plane spread to the cabin. As the passengers and crew tried to escape. Four of the 16 people onboard the aircraft did not make it. The ones that did escape jumped to the ground from the plane's rear exit.

According to the aircraft manufacturer British Aerospace, if the lift spoilers were inoperative, the distance the plane would need to stop would increase by 40%. According to AIBN calculations, given the conditions at the time, the aircraft should have stopped well short of the end of the runway, even with the lift spoilers not deployed.

In its report into the crash, the AIBN found two possible reasons why the plane's six lift spoilers were not deployed.

The AIBN report also noted that the 3,540-foot runway at Stord was not grooved and that, had it been, the chance of hydroplaning would have been reduced significantly.

The fire was caused by a fuel leak ignited by a short circuit that spread to the fuel tanks. While all onboard had a chance of surviving the crash, they could not evacuate the aircraft fast enough. The geography of the airport and a lack of adequate safety features also played a part in the runway overrun.

Journalist - Mark is an experienced travel journalist having published work in the industry for more than seven years. His enthusiasm for aviation news and wealth of experience lends itself to some excellent insight, with his work cited in Forbes amongst other publications. Based in Alicante, Spain.

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