Date:	Sunday 4 October 1992
Time:	17:05 LT
Type:	Cessna F172D Skyhawk (Reims)
Owner/operator:	Trustee of the G-ASHA Flying Group
Registration:	G-ASHA
MSN:	0008/50131
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Sheepwash Airstrip, Westover Farm, Sheepwash, Beaworthy, Devon -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Sheepwash airfield, Westover Farn, Devon
Destination airport:	East Midlands Airport (EMA)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
Written off (destroyed) 4-10-1992 when crashed on take off from a private strip at Westover Farm, Sheepwash, Beaworthy, Devon (at approximate co ordinates 50°50'19.75"N, 4°9'57.56"W, 2 nautical miles north-west of Sheepwash). Aircraft lost power, stalled, struck hedge on takeoff and crashed; aircraft caught fire on impact, and the pilot was killed. The three passengers were injured; the rear passengers escaped when the doors sprung open on impact. They rescued the front seat passenger, but were beaten back by flames and smoke when trying to rescue the pilot.

The AAIB accident report concluded that the aircraft lost power on take off due to the use of four-star petrol usually used for cars (a.k.a "MOGAS") which is not suitable for the engine fitted to this aircraft without modifications that this aircraft did not have. A possible fuel leak in the wing tanks is also noted as a contributary factor to the fire.

Damage to airframe: Per the AAIB report "aircraft destroyed". As a result the registration G-ASHA was cancelled by the CAA as Aircraft "destroyed" 22-12-92. (It is worth noting that G-ASHA was ex-N2530U (US Registry) and F-WILK (French Registry) before becoming G-ASHA on 26-6-63. It was the eighth production Cessna F172D, and only the third on the UK registry after G-ASHE (c/no. 0004) and G-ASIB (c/no. 0006))

1. AAIB: https://assets.digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk/media/5422eb3aed915d137400006f/Cessna_F172D__G-ASHA_03-93.pdf
2. CAA: https://siteapps.caa.co.uk/g-info/rk=ASHA
3. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://coptercrazy.brinkster.net/search/f172show.asp?start=1&count=50]
4. https://www.flickr.com/photos/paulkelseyphotography/15216797238
5. http://airfieldcards.com/index.php/menusierra/sheepwash
6. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.westover-sheepwash.co.uk/AirstripSheepwash.htm]

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-May-2008 11:10	ASN archive	Added
13-Aug-2008 11:07	RobertMB	Updated
26-Sep-2011 02:44	Uli Elch	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Cn, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Damage, Narrative]
05-Aug-2012 16:16	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
20-Jun-2015 20:05	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative]
06-May-2016 16:31	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Operator, Location, Source, Narrative]
06-May-2016 16:34	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Location, Narrative]