An aircraft was destroyed and three people hurt when it crashed on the driveway of a house in rural East Yorkshire.
A report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has revealed the 50-year-old pilot of the Piper aircraft had flown to Eddsfield Airfield, a rural airfield in the heart of the Yorkshire Wolds, to pick up two passengers for a pleasure flight, on the evening of June 18, 2024. Soon after take-off, the plane clipped the treetops at the far end of the airfield, before descending, and the pilot “directed it through the trees to the only piece of clear space that he could see”, the report said.
“The aircraft came to rest in the garden and on the driveway of a local residence and was destroyed. After completing emergency shutdown procedures, the pilot and passengers were able to exit the aircraft unaided with minor injuries.”
The pilot held a Private Pilot’s Licence and had 1,475 hours of flying experience. His report of the incident was that, shortly after take-off, the aircraft sank as it was climbing over trees at the end of the runway; he adjusted the aircraft’s attitude to maintain flying speed but it struck the trees.
The report said the aircraft was parked for approximately 15 to 20 minutes at Eddsfield, prior to starting up again with the passengers on board, just before 8pm. The aircraft had accelerated normally and lifted off approximately three-quarters of the way along the runway.
“The pilot set the aircraft altitude for a maximum gradient climb to clear the 80ft trees at the far end of the airfield. Whilst overhead the trees the pilot adjusted the attitude to increase speed and gently turned onto a heading of 070°.
“Simultaneously he felt the aircraft sink by approximately 10 to 15ft and it stopped climbing. The pilot then felt the aircraft clipping the foliage of the treetops, jolting slightly and then begin to descend. He did not recall hearing the stall warner or experiencing any symptoms of a stall.”
The AAIB said the engine was tested with the carburettor by an independent engine maintenance organisation and found to perform normally. The weight and balance calculations were verified, along with the take-off performance calculations and no anomalies could be found.
“It is the opinion of the pilot that either a power issue or the gusty wind conditions over the trees were causal factors in the accident. Whilst no evidence was found to explain a loss of power it was noted that there was a possibility of carburettor icing.
“It is possible that the long taxi along the grass runway, late in the day resulted in a build-up of ice prior to take-off. The pilot stated he will give more consideration to gusty wind conditions at low speed and the impact of obstacles such as trees, on the wind in the future.”
Don’t miss a thing. Get all the latest breaking news in Hull straight to your mobile via WhatsApp by clicking here.
If you don’t like our community, you can leave any time. We also treat members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. Read our privacy notice here.