Accident Mainair Blade G-MZCN,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 173351
 
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Date:Saturday 13 January 2001
Time:14:30 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic blad model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Mainair Blade
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: G-MZCN
MSN: 1079-0396-7-
Year of manufacture:1996
Engine model:Rotax 582-2V
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Near Enson, 4 miles SW of Leek, Staffordshire -   United Kingdom
Phase: En route
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Ince Blundell, Formby, Lancashire
Destination airport:Sittles Farm, near Litchfield, Staffordshire
Investigating agency: AAIB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
Written off (damaged beyond repair) when force landed due to engine failure near Enson, Staffordshire, 4 miles (6.4 km) southwest of Leek and 6 miles (9.7 km) north-northeast of Stoke-on-Trent. Pilot was killed, passenger seriously injured. According to the following excerpt from the official AAIB report into the accident:

"...The other three aircraft continued their flight and the passenger of G-MZCN retained intermittent visual contact with the other flexwing aircraft. Then, north of Stafford (some 15 miles short of destination), the passenger was aware of a engine power reduction in G-MZCN and that the pilot was reaching back with his right hand towards the position of the fuel selector lever. There did not seem to be any improvement to the engine power level and the pilot brought his hand back to the control bar.

Almost immediately, the pilot banked the aircraft to the left and the passenger assumed that he had made a decision to carry out a forced landing. The passenger was not looking at the aircraft instruments and estimated the aircraft to be banked approximately 40 degrees and with a high rate of descent. Looking ahead, he could see a field in which he assumed the pilot was intending to land. At the far boundary of the field, the passenger saw a fence and he felt that the landing was going to be "heavy".

The pilot levelled the wings just before ground contact and the landing was hard. The passenger's next recollection was being underneath the aircraft, unable to move and aware of leaking fuel. However, after a short period, two men arrived at the scene and the passenger was able to crawl clear when the aircraft was raised. He then helped the other men to lift the 'trike' and released the pilot from his harness. Once clear of the aircraft, the passenger put the pilot in the 'recovery position' but could not detect any signs of life"

Registration G-MZCN cancelled by the CAA on 30 July 2001 as aircraft "destroyed" and owner "Addressee Status: Deceased".

However, that was not the end! The registration of this Mainair Blade was restored to new owners in the Merseyside area on 3 October 2001 (so presumably rebuilt/restored), and it has been sold on three times since then. Currently registered with an owner in Wrexham since 5 November 2013 (the 6th owner since new) and now is in Spain

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: AAIB
Report number: EW/C2001/1/1
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:

1. AAIB: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f53b40f0b613420004eb/dft_avsafety_pdf_501288.pdf
2. CAA: https://siteapps.caa.co.uk/g-info/rk=MZCN

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
28-Jan-2015 17:09 Dr. John Smith Added
09-Mar-2015 05:16 Anon. Updated [Narrative]
13-Jul-2016 11:32 Dr.John Smith Updated [Source, Narrative]
31-Jul-2017 15:23 Anon. Updated [Narrative]

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

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