Description

On 18 July 2006, a Boeing 737-300 being operated on a scheduled UK domestic service by Spanish Airline Futura International Airways for UK passenger airline Easyjet commenced a day VHF Omnidirectional Radio Range (VOR)/Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) approach procedure with a 12 degree offset FAT towards Runway 07 at Belfast Aldergrove in CAVOK conditions. After calling ‘Short Final’ it was cleared to land by the TWR Controller, but the APP radar controller then noticed that the aircraft appeared to be preparing to land at Langford Lodge, an unlicensed private airfield 3.5nm south west of the Runway 07 threshold at Aldergrove and alerted TWR who instructed the aircraft to climb, which was then observed. The subsequent visual manoeuvring to land at Aldergrove was characterised by unstable flight on very short finals just prior to an ultimately uneventful landing. No injuries or aircraft damage resulted from the event.