ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 189857
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| Date: | Saturday 14 April 2007 |
| Time: | 18:07 |
| Type: |  Mainair Blade |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | G-MZMB |
| MSN: | 1149-0398-7-W952 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1998 |
| Engine model: | Rotax 462 two-stroke |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Further Lane, Mellor, Blackburn, Lancashire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Higher Barn Farm, near Preston, Lancashire |
| Higher Barn Farm, near Preston, Lancashire | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Written off (damaged beyond repair) 14-04-2007 when crashed at Further Lane, Mellor, Blackburn, Lancashire: The aircraft was returning to Higher Barn Farm strip, east of Preston when the engine rpm began hunting from low to moderate power. After several cycles the engine stopped and the pilot attempted to carry out an emergency landing in a grass field. The air speed decayed and the aircraft probably stalled undershooting the intended landing area and entered a substantial hedge. Both the pilot and passenger - named in contemporary press reports as "the pilot, John Hearle from Osbaldeston Lane, Osbaldeston, and passenger Reg Coar, from Blackburn - received serious injuries and who were both taken to the Royal Preston Hospital. It was highly probable that fuel starvation was the cause of the engine stopping. According to the following excerpt from the official AAIB report into the accident:
"The microlight departed at approximately 15:30 hours, initially landing at Pilling Sands where the engine was shut down. Before he took off to fly to Middleton Sands for refreshments, the pilot rang Heysham power station to advise them that he would shortly be flying past. No times were recorded for these flights. The pilot reportedly checked the fuel quantity before departing Middleton Sands and noted that the tank was approximately half full.
After departing Middleton Sands, the microlight flew south along the M6 motorway, to Preston, and then east, to the area of Mellor and Samlesbury, northwest of Blackburn. After flying around the general area, it was then flown back towards Higher Barn Farm airstrip.
Witnesses on the ground at Nab’s Head, heard the sound of a microlight approaching. Initially, the engine sounded normal but it began a ‘hunting’ sound before coming into their view, at a low height. It was heading southwest. The engine sound then stopped and the microlight disappeared into a valley and out of sight.
The witnesses rang the emergency services and then went to locate the accident site. They found the pilot and passenger still seated in the wreckage which was entangled in a small thicket of brambles and stout holly trees. Both occupants were seriously injured and the witnesses, one of whom was a nurse, provided first aid until the emergency services arrived. The rear seat passenger, in his conversation with the nurse, stated “the engine just cut out”. Both pilot and passenger were evacuated to hospital."
Nature of Damage sustained to airframe: Per the AAIB report "Microlight destroyed". As a result, the registration G-MZMB was cancelled by the CAA on 20-10-2007
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f14b40f0b6134600039f/Mainair_Blade__G-MZMB_12-07.pdf
2. CAA: https://siteapps.caa.co.uk/g-info/rk=MZMB
3. http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/1330322.two_serious_after_microlight_crash/
4. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/lancashire/6556977.stm
5. https://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/news/1333156.every_bone_in_pilots_face_broken/
6. https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/two-men-injured-in-microlight-crash-1-410040
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 06-Sep-2016 21:35 | Dr.John Smith | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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