Bin Laden family crash pilot 'overworked'

The private jet that crash killing three members of Osama bin Laden's family was travelling almost twice as fast as the recommended speed.Accident investigators said that the pilot's judgement may have been impended by a "high workload".

The Saudi-registered Phenom 300 jet ran off the runway into a bank of earth at Blackbushe Airport, Surrey, on July 31 2015 before becoming airborne again and crashing into several parked cars.

All three passengers, who included bin Laden's stepmother Raja Bashir Hashem, 75, survived the impacts but died from the effects of a fire.

Mrs Bashir Hashem's daughter Sana bin Laden, 53 was also killed alongside Zouheir Anuar Hashem, 56 and the Jordanian pilot, 58-year-old Mazen Salim Alqasim.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch report into the accident described how the plane took a steep descent as it approached the airport.

As the plane flew over the start of the runway it was travelling at 151 knots indicated airspeed (kias), 40% faster than the target of 108 kias.

"The excessive speed contributed to a touchdown 710 metres beyond the threshold, with only 438 metres of paved surfaced remaining," the AAIB said.

Investigators found that the pilot's "mental capacity could have become saturated" after being exposed to 66 audio warnings, instructions and messages during the three minutes and 32 seconds before reaching the start of the runway.

The report stated: "It is possible that in these circumstances the pilot ... fixated on his initial strategy - landing - and lacked the mental capacity to recognise that the approach had become unstable and should be discontinued."

Bin Laden, who claimed responsibility for the September 11 2001 attacks in the United States, is believed to have had more than 50 brothers and sisters and many stepmothers.