ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 144459
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| Date: | Saturday 17 March 2012 |
| Time: | 13:10 LT |
| Type: | Mainair Gemini Flash IIA |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | G-MVSN |
| MSN: | 754-589-7-W5 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1989 |
| Engine model: | Rotax 503 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Eshott Airfield, Bockenfield, near Felton, Northumberland -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Standing |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Eshott Airfield, Bockenfield, near Felton, Northumberland |
| Eshott Airfield, Bockenfield, near Felton, Northumberland | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
An ultra light aircraft crashed near the runway at Eshott Airfield, Bockenfield, near Felton, Northumberland, at 1:10 pm on Saturday 17 March 2012. The airfield's owner said the novice pilot was running the engine of a microlight at full power (throttle fully open) when it began to move unexpectedly. According to the the official AAIB report into the accident:
"The student pilot, who part-owned the microlight, was preparing it for an instructional flight. The weather was fine and calm. The pilot had moved the microlight from its hangar to a suitable area and, while waiting for his instructor who was airborne at the time, carried out the pre-flight checks and prepared to start the engine. His normal practice was to start the engine prior to flight to let it warm up, and he had done this about 30 minutes earlier, running it successfully for about 10 minutes.
After priming the engine again, the student pilot sat in the microlight to start it. Part of the pre-start checks was to ensure the hand operated throttle was closed and the foot operated throttle was clear. However, on pulling the start cord, the engine started and immediately ran up to full power. The brakes were applied but did not prevent the aircraft moving forward. The pilot manipulated the throttle control but without obvious effect.
As the pilot was not intending to fly straight away, he was not strapped in or wearing a protective helmet. With the aircraft accelerating towards a hangar, he chose to abandon it rather than risk injury if it struck the hangar. He threw himself out of the left side, sustaining a broken leg and torn ligaments when the aircraft’s left wheel ran over his right knee.
The aircraft missed the hangar but continued and became airborne. Footage from a CCTV camera showed the microlight climbing steeply before stalling and entering a dive. It then performed a low-level looping manoeuvre, striking the ground at relatively high speed before the manoeuvre was completed. The aircraft was destroyed in the accident and a wire fence was also damaged. A small fire broke out, causing localised damage to an area of grass and small trees".
The BMAA made a further comment: "Reference is made to the Microlight Flying Magazine article (MAY 2012) - 'Some aircraft go out of control'
An essential part of becoming qualified as a pilot is undertaking training in the preparation and operation of an aircraft before, during and after flight (NPPL syllabus - Exercises 1 & 2). Such instruction will include practices for the safe starting and running of engines, actions to be taken in the case of a "runaway".
There have been many instances of runaway aircraft, some of which have led to severe injury. This period of aircraft operation should not be treated casually".
As the AAIB report notes, the aircraft was "destroyed" by both the force of the impact, and the post-crash fire. Consequently, the registration G-MVSN was cancelled by the CAA on 22/10/2012
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB: https://assets.digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk/media/54230435ed915d1371000c97/Gemini_Flash_IIA_G-MVSN_06-12.pdf
2. CAA: https://siteapps.caa.co.uk/g-info/rk=MVSN
3. https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/light-aircraft-crashes-northumberland-airfield-1361915
4. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-17415029
5. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2116420/Microlight-pilot-jumps-safety-aircraft-takes-crashes-flames-throttle-got-jammed.html
6. http://www.microlightforum.com/showthread.php?6756-Flexwing-crashes-at-Eshott
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eshott_Airfield
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Mar-2012 08:45 | gerard57 | Added |
| 17-Mar-2012 16:17 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 17-Mar-2012 16:20 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Damage, Narrative] |
| 17-Mar-2012 23:13 | RobertMB | Updated [Time, Aircraft type] |
| 28-Apr-2013 02:01 | Anon. | Updated [Phase, Nature, Narrative, Plane category, ] |
| 11-May-2013 11:14 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Registration, Cn, Source, Narrative] |
| 12-Sep-2015 18:13 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Total occupants, Source, Narrative] |
| 12-Sep-2015 18:14 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 22-Dec-2016 23:44 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source] |
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