ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 283434
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| Date: | Friday 20 November 1998 |
| Time: | 13:00 LT |
| Type: | Whittaker MW-6 Merlin (Modified) |
| Owner/operator: | Robin David Thomasson (regd. owner) |
| Registration: | G-MYCU |
| MSN: | PFA 164-11627 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | Radlett Aerodrome, Radlett, Hertfordshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Radlett Aerodrome, Radlett, Hertfordshire |
| Radlett Aerodrome, Radlett, Hertfordshire |
Whittaker MW-6 Merlin (Modified) G-MYCU: Substantially damaged 20 November 1998 when force landed due to engine failure shortly after take off from Radlett Aerodrome, Radlett, Hertfordshire. The pilot (the sole person on board) was uninjured. The incident was the subject of an AAIB Investigation (see link #1) and a local newspaper report ("Watford Observer" 27 February 1999 - see link #2). The following is an excerpt from the AAIB Investigation Report...
"Some 5 minutes after taking off from Radlett Airstrip the engine speed increased and then stabilised. The pilot turned back to land at Radlett, but about one minute later the engine speed dropped to about 5,000 RPM and this was later followed by engine seizure during the approach. The pilot landed the aircraft short of the runway in a field containing some sheep and during the landing roll one sheep was struck and killed, causing slight damage to the aircraft; however the pilot escaped injury.
Subsequent examination of the engine found that the carburettor was slightly loose (on this type of engine the carburettor is secured to the inlet manifold by means of a short length of rubber hose) and the pilot concluded that this had allowed air to enter the manifold, weakening the mixture and causing the speed to vary. Inspection of the rear cylinder bore revealed evidence of metallic 'pickup' and seizure of the piston due to weak mixture running effects on cylinder temperature".
=Damage Sustained to airframe=
Per the above AAIB Report "Damage to right hand landing gear and lift strut". G-MYCU was first registered on 9 June 1992, and was sold on to its second and final owners on 31 August 1995. Not known if the aircraft was ever repaired and returned to service; however, the LAA (Light Aircraft Association) notes "Permit [to fly] expired 1 November 2000, dismantled and stored". The registration was cancelled (and the airframe de-registered) on 2 February 2011.
Radlett Aerodrome was an airfield and aircraft manufacturing plant in Hertfordshire, now owned by Eon Productions. Part of the airfield is now the M25 between junctions 21 (A405) and 22 (A108).
Sources:
1. AAIB: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f2b140f0b61346000465/dft_avsafety_pdf_500893.pdf
2. Watford Obsever 27 February 1999: https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/5778411.report-into-crash-that-killed-sheep/
3. https://aviationfanatic.com/ent_show.php?ent=5&AC_Regno=G-MYCU
4. https://isvwlet.laa-archive.org.uk/results.php?q=G-ORAF&fields=reg&page=0&sort=oldest&ft=&limit=5
5. https://houser747.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/uk-updates-140211-to-270211.pdf
6. G-MYCU at Breighton 15/8/1993: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mike_illien/9171125985/in/photolist-eYqqeP
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whittaker_MW6
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radlett_Aerodrome
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 16-Sep-2022 12:29 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
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