Date:	Monday 13 June 2005
Time:	08:50
Type:	Piper PA-28RT-201T Turbo Arrow IV
Owner/operator:	Abertawe Aviation Ltd
Registration:	G-JANG
MSN:	28R-8531002
Year of manufacture:	1985
Engine model:	Continental TSIO-360-FB
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Bristol Channel, Bracelet Bay, near Mumbles Head, Swansea Bay, -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:	Swansea Airport, Fairwood Common (SWS/EGFH)
Destination airport:	Exeter International Airport (EXT/EGTE)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
Written off (destroyed) when ditched due to engine failure into the Bristol Channel, at Bracelet Bay, near Mumbles Head, Swansea Bay, (at approximate co ordinates: 51'33.716"N, 03'59.391"W). The pilot - the sole person on board - survived with minor injuries, and as rescued by a passing fishing boat. According to the following press release from the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCGA) (see link #4) which is somewhat different from the AAIB report:

"LIGHT AIRCRAFT CRASHES IN BRACELET BAY, SWANSEA

At 9.51 am Swansea Coastguard received a 999 call from a member of the public reporting they had seen a light aircraft crash in Bracelet Bay, West of Swansea. Swansea Coastguard sent the Mumbles RNLI lifeboat to the scene and Air Traffic Control confirmed to the Coastguard that the aircraft had one person on board.

A nearby angling vessel called the Kiora reached the plane while it was still floating and managed to help the pilot off the aircraft and onto the boat. The plane sank moments later. The man was brought ashore and taken by ambulance to Mumbles suffering from shock but with apparently no injuries. The aircraft was a four-seater Papa Alpha 28 Turbo Arrow which had been approaching Swansea airport with one man on board."

According to the following excerpt from the official AAIB report into the accident:

"The aircraft took off from Runway 28 at 08:46 hours and turned left to fly along the coast towards Mumbles Head, from where the pilot intended to track direct to Exeter. Several minutes after takeoff, and while heading east at 1,500 feet the engine lost all power. The pilot lowered the nose and transmitted a MAYDAY call. He then attempted to restart the engine but was not successful.

When the aircraft had descended to below 1,000 feet agl, the pilot observed that to his left were populated areas and he judged that any fields were beyond safe gliding range. The pilot realised that the nearby beaches had people on them, so he prepared to ditch the aircraft.

With the landing gear retracted, a successful downwind landing was made on the water, about half a mile from a Coast Guard station. The pilot was able to climb out of the aircraft and inflated his life jacket which he had been wearing, as was his habit. He also inflated a spare life jacket to assist with flotation. He was immediately assisted by a fishing vessel, and taken to a nearby hospital, however he had sustained no injury. The aircraft sank in about 6.5 metres of water."

Nature of Damage to airframe: Per the AAIB report "Aircraft destroyed". As a result, the registration G-JANG was cancelled by the CAA on 11-07-2005 as "destroyed".

1. AAIB: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/542302d7e5274a1317000be5/Piper_PA-28RT-201T__G-JANG_8-05.pdf
2. CAA: https://siteapps.caa.co.uk/g-info/rk=JANG
3. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/south_west/4087514.stm
4. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:https://mcanet.mcga.gov.uk/public/news/release.asp?mcga_news_id=2950&month=6&year=2005]
5. Piper PA-28RT-201T Turbo Arrow IV [28R-8531002] at Kemble 13/07/2003: http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/001196862.html

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
11-Aug-2016 21:33	Dr.John Smith	Added