Plane 'flew too close to ground'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/manchester/6042360.stm

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A passenger plane flew "dangerously close" to the ground as it neared an airport, an accident report has said.

Only a warning system in the cockpit stopped it hitting the ground near Manchester airport, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said.

The flight from Ronaldsway in the Isle of Man, with 17 passengers aboard, had descended to within about 450ft (135m) of the ground.

The plane's crew had not monitored the aircraft's flight path, said the AAIB.

They were only aware they had descended with a high vertical speed "dangerously close to the ground", about five miles from touchdown, when they were alerted by the enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS).

Second attempt

The captain took control of the aircraft, operated by Austrian company EuroManx Airlines, disconnected the autopilot and initiated a "go-around." This is when a plane about to land goes around again before landing at the second attempt.

The plane then landed safely following the incident on 18 January.

The AAIB said: "Due to a failure to operate the aircraft in accordance with standard operating procedures, the safety of the aircraft was seriously compromised.

"A possible controlled flight into terrain (where an under-control plane flies into the ground) was only avoided by the crew taking appropriate action upon being alerted by the EGPWS."

The AAIB recommended Austrian aviation authorities review the flight training and operational procedures of EuroManx Airlines.