ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 167576
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Tuesday 24 June 2014 |
| Time: | 12:20 LT |
| Type: |  P&M Quik GTR Explorer |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | G-COWN |
| MSN: | 8619 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2012 |
| Engine model: | Rotax 912 ULS |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Loch an Nostarie, South East of Mallaig, Highland -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Plocton, Isle of Skye (EGEV) |
| Glenforsa, Isle of Mull (ULL) | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A P&M Quik Microlight crashed 24/6/2014 after it suffered a bird strike to the propeller in flight. The local terrain was unsuitable for an outlanding, so ditching into Loch an Nosatarie, south east of Mallaig was only option available. The pilot was able to extract himself from the wreckage and swim to shore. A couple of hill walkers in the area saw the microlight going down, and altered the emergency services, including the local Coastguard and the Mallaig lifeboat, which launched at 12:33 local time. The wreckage of the P&M Quik GTR was recovered from the loch at 17:15 the same day.
According to the following extract from the official AAIB report into the accident:
"The microlight was flying between airfields at Plockton and Glenforsa on the west coast of Scotland when the accident occurred. The weather was fine, with calm surface winds and good visibility. While at a height of about 1,000 feet, there was a loud bang and the aircraft rolled rapidly to the right. The pilot was able to regain controlled flight, but had limited control and could not prevent a residual turning tendency. There was also a high level of vibration, so he shut the engine down.
The pilot attempted to land in a nearby flat grassed area, but was unable to slow the microlight sufficiently. As the aircraft got lower, he found the terrain to be covered by numerous tributaries feeding the nearby loch, as well as rocks and boulders. The pilot became committed to a touchdown in the loch itself and he ditched about 20 feet from the bank. The microlight came to a sudden stop before the fuselage section sunk backwards below the water.
The uninjured pilot unfastened his harness without difficulty before swimming to the shore. He was wearing a dry suit and lifejacket, which he did not need to inflate. He reported that a large bird (probably a seagull) had struck the propeller, causing two blades to separate.
These then passed through the wing structure, one of them breaking the washout rod universal joint on the right wing. The pilot attributed his control problems to this, together with the damage to the wing fabric".
Damage to airframe: Accident damage to propeller, wing structure and fabric. Water damage to whole structure. As a result, the registration G-COWN was cancelled by the CAA on 19/3/2015
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. https://stv.tv/news/highlands-islands/280446-microlight-pilot-crashes-into-loch-an-nostaire-mallaig-highlands/
2. https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highlands/265638/plane-crash-near-mallaig/
3. CAA: http://www.caa.co.uk/aircraft-registration/
4. http://www.microlightforum.com/showthread.php?10209-Microlight-down-Pilot-ok
5. AAIB: https://assets.digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk/media/5422f8a5e5274a13140006a9/Quik_GTR_G-COWN_09-14.pdf
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 26-Jun-2014 08:52 | Anon. | Added |
| 26-Jun-2014 11:36 | Anon. | Updated [Time, Source] |
| 26-Jun-2014 18:20 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 05-Oct-2014 02:08 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 30-Sep-2015 00:12 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 02-Oct-2015 20:56 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Damage] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation