Post by Avacyn on Aug 1, 2015 23:12:03 GMT
The £7million jet which crashed killing three members of Osama Bin Laden's family climbed 500 feet as it was coming into land, prompting the pilot to dive the aircraft at high speed towards the tarmac.
Flight data captured by AvGen Limited showed that as the aircraft approached the airfield it was flying at 1,250 feet, but as it turned around the circuit before landing, it increased altitude to 1,750 feet - at a critical time in the flight when it should have been losing height.
As the pilot, Mazen Al Doaja, steered the aircraft around towards the runway, he pushed the jet into a steep dive of 3,000 feet per minute.
The data, which was captured using specialist flight monitoring software called ADS-B, showed that the aircraft was flying in an unusual pattern as it prepared to land.
As the aircraft passed the threshold of the runway, it was at 75 feet, which was normal, but it was still flying at 149kts - some 30kts more than normal - as it prepared to touch down.
Dave Reid, managing director of AvGen Ltd told MailOnline: 'We monitor aircraft using Heathrow Airport, but after the accident in Blackbushe, we decided to see if we had data from the Phenom 300. The data is broadcast by commercial aircraft, executive jets and some private aircraft.'
The information broadcast include the aircraft's identity, altitude, location, speed, heading, and rate of climb or descent.
'The aircraft increased in altitude by 500 feet at a time when it should have been descending. I am sure that this is something that the AAIB will be looking at in due course.'
According the aircraft's manufacturers, Embraer, the Phenom 300 requires a minimum length of 799 metres to land at sea level and in dry conditions.
The runway at Blackbushe is 1,059 metres long, giving the pilot only 250 metres of extra space to land.
Mr Reid added: 'As he passed the threshold of the runway, he was at 75 feet and travelling at 149kts. I am not a pilot, I am an engineer, so I can not comment on whether he was going too fast.'
The data captured by AvGen does not prove whether the aircraft touched the runway before it ended exploding into the neighbouring car auction site.
Aviation sources said the aircraft was flying an 'unstabilised approach' and should have aborted the landing far earlier and 'gone around' for a second attempt.
According to one popular aviation forum, the pilot was flying 'high and fast' and did not have enough runway to stop safely.
The aircraft cleared the end of the runway, but did not have enough speed to increase altitude sufficiently.
Experts at the Air Accident Investigation Board will look for detailed flight data records contained within the aircraft's black boxes.
This data may provide a clue as to why the aircraft increased its altitude less than a minute before it was due to land. It will also show at what stage the pilot decided against continuing with the landing.
The actual crash site itself will provide vital information for air crash investigators.
Aviation sources have suggested that the pilot, seeing the end of the runway rapidly approaching, pulled back on his controls to raise the nose and gain height and open the throttles to increase power. However, jet engines take a period of time to 'spool up' and with a lack of thrust, the aircraft stalled and 'pancaked' into the adjacent car park.
Hampshire police confirmed that the dead terrorist's stepmother Rajaa Hashim, his sister, Sana bin Laden, and his brother-in-law, Zuhair Hashim, were all killed in the crash along with their pilot. .
A police spokesman said: 'We do believe three of the deceased to be the mother, sister and brother-in-law of the owner of the aircraft, all of whom are from the Bin Laden family, but formal post-mortem examinations are ongoing.
'They were Saudi Arabian nationals and visiting the UK on vacation.'
The Saudi ambassador to the UK offered his condolences to the Bin Laden family, who own a major construction company in Saudi Arabia.
The statement said: 'His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf Al Saud ... has paid his condolences to the family and relatives of Mohammed bin Laden at Blackbushe Airport in Britain for the great loss they have suffered as a result of the crash of the plane that was carrying the family.'
A further statement said the embassy would work with the British authorities to ensure a quick repatriation of the bodies for burial.
The family's pilot has now been named as Mazen Al Doaja and his family have paid tribute, saying they are in shock over his death
The plane had flown in from Malpensa Airport in Milan to the airfield.
Flight data captured by AvGen Limited showed that as the aircraft approached the airfield it was flying at 1,250 feet, but as it turned around the circuit before landing, it increased altitude to 1,750 feet - at a critical time in the flight when it should have been losing height.
As the pilot, Mazen Al Doaja, steered the aircraft around towards the runway, he pushed the jet into a steep dive of 3,000 feet per minute.
The data, which was captured using specialist flight monitoring software called ADS-B, showed that the aircraft was flying in an unusual pattern as it prepared to land.
As the aircraft passed the threshold of the runway, it was at 75 feet, which was normal, but it was still flying at 149kts - some 30kts more than normal - as it prepared to touch down.
Dave Reid, managing director of AvGen Ltd told MailOnline: 'We monitor aircraft using Heathrow Airport, but after the accident in Blackbushe, we decided to see if we had data from the Phenom 300. The data is broadcast by commercial aircraft, executive jets and some private aircraft.'
The information broadcast include the aircraft's identity, altitude, location, speed, heading, and rate of climb or descent.
'The aircraft increased in altitude by 500 feet at a time when it should have been descending. I am sure that this is something that the AAIB will be looking at in due course.'
According the aircraft's manufacturers, Embraer, the Phenom 300 requires a minimum length of 799 metres to land at sea level and in dry conditions.
The runway at Blackbushe is 1,059 metres long, giving the pilot only 250 metres of extra space to land.
Mr Reid added: 'As he passed the threshold of the runway, he was at 75 feet and travelling at 149kts. I am not a pilot, I am an engineer, so I can not comment on whether he was going too fast.'
The data captured by AvGen does not prove whether the aircraft touched the runway before it ended exploding into the neighbouring car auction site.
Aviation sources said the aircraft was flying an 'unstabilised approach' and should have aborted the landing far earlier and 'gone around' for a second attempt.
According to one popular aviation forum, the pilot was flying 'high and fast' and did not have enough runway to stop safely.
The aircraft cleared the end of the runway, but did not have enough speed to increase altitude sufficiently.
Experts at the Air Accident Investigation Board will look for detailed flight data records contained within the aircraft's black boxes.
This data may provide a clue as to why the aircraft increased its altitude less than a minute before it was due to land. It will also show at what stage the pilot decided against continuing with the landing.
The actual crash site itself will provide vital information for air crash investigators.
Aviation sources have suggested that the pilot, seeing the end of the runway rapidly approaching, pulled back on his controls to raise the nose and gain height and open the throttles to increase power. However, jet engines take a period of time to 'spool up' and with a lack of thrust, the aircraft stalled and 'pancaked' into the adjacent car park.
Hampshire police confirmed that the dead terrorist's stepmother Rajaa Hashim, his sister, Sana bin Laden, and his brother-in-law, Zuhair Hashim, were all killed in the crash along with their pilot. .
A police spokesman said: 'We do believe three of the deceased to be the mother, sister and brother-in-law of the owner of the aircraft, all of whom are from the Bin Laden family, but formal post-mortem examinations are ongoing.
'They were Saudi Arabian nationals and visiting the UK on vacation.'
The Saudi ambassador to the UK offered his condolences to the Bin Laden family, who own a major construction company in Saudi Arabia.
The statement said: 'His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf Al Saud ... has paid his condolences to the family and relatives of Mohammed bin Laden at Blackbushe Airport in Britain for the great loss they have suffered as a result of the crash of the plane that was carrying the family.'
A further statement said the embassy would work with the British authorities to ensure a quick repatriation of the bodies for burial.
The family's pilot has now been named as Mazen Al Doaja and his family have paid tribute, saying they are in shock over his death
The plane had flown in from Malpensa Airport in Milan to the airfield.