Published Wednesday, 04 August 2010
An investigation began after claims that a plane had caused damage to a roof of a house in Parkgate Drive, east Belfast in June 2010.
A local man said he was struck by a dislodged slate, suffering injuries to his neck and head.
A CAA Air Traffic Standards Investigator has now concluded that the aircraft was flying the correct flight path and the appropriate altitude.
The report could not give a reason for the dislodgement of roof slates at the property.
Mark Beattie, Operations Director at Belfast City Airport, said the airport will fix the roof "as a gesture of goodwill."
"This report is consistent with the findings of our own internal investigation and the data obtained from our noise and track monitoring system which accurately plots the height and trajectory of arriving and departing aircraft", Mr Beattie said.
"While the CAA investigation could not determine the cause of the dislodgement of slates, the airport immediately carried out full repairs to the property as a gesture of goodwill."
Mr Beattie said the majority of flights arriving or departing Belfast City Airport fly over Belfast Lough.
"While certain weather conditions dictate an approach or departure over the City these aircraft always do so in accordance with strict procedures.", he said.
"The airport is sensitive to the environment in which it operates and has a close relationship with the community it serves."
But Dr Liz Fawcett, Chair of the Belfast City Airport Watch Steering Group, said the report's conclusions only increased residents' concerns about safety.
"The CAA report does not rule out the possibility that the roof tiles were blown off by a plane," she said, "nor does it advance any alternative theory as to the cause of this incident.
"If the aircraft in question was flying at the correct height at the time, that's of considerable concern, because it suggests similar incidents could easily happen in the Parkgate area again.
"The airport's own information, presented to residents' groups at a recent meeting of the Airport Forum, indicates that aircraft are flying at less than 300 feet above the ground when they come over that area - it's not surprising that many people there are anxious that an even worse incident could happen."
The report comes ahead of an inquiry into contentious runway extension plans.
The £8m proposal to lengthen the runway by nearly 600 metres would allow planes with heavier fuel loads to use the airport, thus opening up the possibility of flights to and from further afield in Europe.
But residents claim this would also significantly increase engine noise.