Description

On 27 April 2008 an Airbus A340-300 being operated by UK-based Virgin Atlantic AW on a scheduled passenger flight from London with the First Officer as PF had carried out a night auto ILS approach to Runway 06 with the A/T engaged and been cleared to “land at your own discretion” with visibility reported as 3000 metres and the W/V 050 at 5 kts. The crew stated that they became visual with the runway at a height of between 300 and 200 ft. and at the DH of 200 ft, both pilots had more than the minimum visual reference required and could see “all the approach lights and a good section of runway lights”. The autopilot was disconnected at 100 ft radio altitude and the PF began to flare the aircraft at between 75 and 50 ft radio altitude. The aircraft floated at around 20 ft for a few seconds before it entered an area of fog and the PF lost sight of the right side of the runway and the runway lights. The commander also lost sight of the right side of the runway.