An Embraer 145 landing at London Southend Airport ran over a general aviation towbar which had been dropped on the runway. No damage was caused to the aircraft.
The investigation found that the towbar had fallen from a Cessna 210 which had departed Southend Airport 30 minutes before with the towbar inadvertently attached. The towbar was inconspicuous because it did not have any reflective or other high visibility markings.
One Safety Recommendation has been made to the CAA to improve the visibility of general aviation ground equipment.