ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 31242
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| Date: | Friday 12 February 1999 |
| Time: | 15:31 |
| Type: |  Cessna F172M Skyhawk (Reims) |
| Owner/operator: | APB Leasing Ltd |
| Registration: | G-BXLJ |
| MSN: | 172-67065 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Craig y Llyn above Llyn Lluncaws, Berwyn Mountain, Powys -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Welshpool, Powys (EGCW) |
| Welshpool, Powys (EGCW) | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Written off (destroyed) 12 February 1999 when crashed into the Berwyn Mountains, Powys, Wales, killing all three persons on board (pilot, co-pilot and one passenger). According to the following extract from the official AAIB report into the accident:
"At about 15:10 hours, the three occupants were seen to board the aircraft at Welshpool Airfield. The take off time was not noted but it was thought to be shortly after 15:15 hours.
The last radar contact was at 15:36.58 hrs at 2,558 feet amsl. This was about 1/3 nm north of the position where the wreckage was later found and the ground in the immediate vicinity was 800 metres amsl (2,625 feet).
When the aircraft had not returned by 16:30 hours, the member of the airfield staff who had been operating the air/
ground station became concerned and, at about 16:55 hours, reported this concern to the director of the Welshpool Airport operating company.
He made several radio calls to the aircraft but received no reply. He then informed the Distress and Diversion (D&D) cell at the London Area and Terminal Control Centre; the call was logged at 17:28 hours. The D&D controller immediately initiated overdue action and informed the Rescue Co-ordination Centre (RCC). Other airfields in the locality were contacted and a radar replay was initiated.
It was noted that one radar track to the north-west of Welshpool disappeared at about 15:37 hours; the position of the last contact was passed to the RCC who alerted the rescue helicopter and the Mountain Rescue Team (MRT) at RAF Valley, Anglesey. The MRT was mobilised, however, the weather in the area precluded a helicopter search.
Meanwhile the radar data had been reviewed and a refined position was passed to the RCC. This was used to define the area upon which the search would concentrate. At 21:33 hours, the MRT met the local police and the search started. The visibility in the search area was estimated as 200 metres in fog. The wreckage was located at 01:26 hours, about 1/2 nm from the position of the last radar contact. It appeared to the MRT that the aircraft had flown into steeply rising ground and tumbled back about 50 metres down the slope".
The three persons on board who were killed were named in press reports as Miss Fiona McWilliam (passenger), Mr G. Newton (pilot) and Mr S. Mole (pilot instructor). A memorial cross to Fiona McWillam was erected by her family at Moel Sych, near the crash site.
As the AAIB report confirms, G-BXLJ was "destroyed. Therefore the registration G-BXLJ was cancelled by the CAA on 26 Febuary 1999 aslo as "destroyed"
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB: https://www.gov.uk/aaib-reports/cessna-172m-g-bxlj-12-february-1999
2. CAA: http://www.caa.co.uk/aircraft-registration/
3. http://www.planetrace.co.uk/1990-1999_32.html
4. http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/crash_sites/wales/cessna-172m-g-bxlj-moel-sych/
5. http://aircrashsites.co.uk/air-crash-sites-5/memorial-to-fiona-mcwilliam-cessna-skyhawk-g-bxlj-on-moel-sych-wales/
6. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/feb/19/letter-to-sister-killed-plane-crash
7. https://www.flickr.com/p/9arjru
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Sep-2008 01:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 01-Sep-2012 16:06 | Uli Elch | Updated [Aircraft type, Cn, Location, Phase, Nature, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 11-Mar-2015 20:58 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Date, Time, Registration, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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