A flight crew was left shaken as their plane suffered an electrical failure while landing in Belfast City Airport two years ago.
The Aer Lingus flight from Leeds Bradford on September 19, 2022, suffered “a partial electrical failure and control difficulties” while approaching the runway.
The events were detailed in a report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), treated it as a serious incident.
“During the aircraft’s approach to Belfast City Airport, a number of aircraft systems dropped off-line including some necessary for landing,” the report said.
The stress of the situation caused the flight crew to experience the “natural effects of startle and surprise” and were left to continue their approach with 32 passengers on board but without a clear procedure to follow.
As the plane was landing, both pilots reported that multiple failures had appeared on the engine warning display.
The plane’s landing gear did not deploy, meaning the crew were forced to manually disable an electronic transformer unit.
This “sudden magnitude of failure” meant that the shock experienced by the crew affected their communication and information processing.
The report added: “The ambiguous nature, and unclear source, of the technical symptoms caused persisting stress and surprise while the flight crew attempted to re-evaluate the situation.”
It has since been recommended that Aer Lingus adopt a new rule-based structure to help crews manage stress and “rebuild situation awareness” during emergency situations.
In addition, the plane manufacturer ATR has improved safety guidance for pilots as well as several other safety measures.
Aer Lingus has been contacted for a response over the report.
