ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 174997
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| Date: | Saturday 5 July 1997 |
| Time: | 07:00 |
| Type: |  Pitts S-1E |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | G-BVFN |
| MSN: | JAS7 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Near Little Gransden Airfield, Bedfordshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Cranfield, Bedfordshire (EGTC) |
| Teversham, Cambridge (EGSC) | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Written off 5 July 1997 when crashed whilst attempting to divert to Little Gransden Airfield, Cambridgeshire, due to adverse weather conditions. According to the following extract from the official AAIB report into the accident:
"The pilot departed from Cranfield at 06:50 hours, as the early morning mist was clearing, for his planned flight to Cambridge. The forecast weather conditions predicted a surface wind of 280 degrees/04 knots, with a visibility of 3,500 metres and scattered cloud at 1,000 feet.
Midway between Cranfield and Cambridge the cloud thickened and lowered requiring the pilot to descend to maintain VMC. He had hoped that the deterioration was localised but with ever thickening and lowering cloud he decided to divert to Gransden. Within 2 nautical miles of the airfield the weather deteriorated rapidly. The pilot,fearing a collision with the ground or unseen obstacle, decided to carry out a 'forced landing with power' in a nearby field.
The aircraft landed normally in the three point attitude but the dense standing crop of 'Rapeseed' caused it to pitch inverted. The pilot, who was wearing a full harness, vacated the aircraft without injury. The pilot assessed the accident as being caused by his misjudgement in 'pressing on' in unsuitable weather conditions".
The AAIB report notes that the damage sustained to the aircraft was "Substantial to tail, right upper wing tip, main landing gear and shock loading to engine". All of which were presumably enough to render the aircraft as "damaged beyond economic repair", and the registration G-BVFN was belatedly cancelled by the CAA on 19 April 2001 (almost three years later) as the registered owners "Addressee Status: Gone Away"
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/54230464ed915d1374000c0b/dft_avsafety_pdf_502169.pdf
2. CAA: https://siteapps.caa.co.uk/g-info/rk=BVFN
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 31-Mar-2015 21:33 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 31-Mar-2015 21:33 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 18-Jun-2016 21:32 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Source] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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