Date:	Wednesday 13 February 2008
Time:	15:30
Type:	Piper PA-28R-200 Cherokee Arrow II
Owner/operator:	Shacklewell Flying Group
Registration:	G-BKFZ
MSN:	28R-7635127
Year of manufacture:	1976
Engine model:	Lycoming IO-360-C1C
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Sykes Lane car park, Rutland Water reservoir, near Empingham -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Spanhoe, near Harringworth, Northamptonshire (EGTT)
Destination airport:	Shacklewell Lodge, Rutland
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
Written off (destroyed) 13-02-2008 when crashed into the Sykes Lane car park, close to the north-eastern shore of Rutland Water reservoir, near Whitewell Road, Empingham, Leicestershire. The pilot, the sole person on board, sustained fatal injuries. According to the following excerpt from the official AAIB report into the accident:

"The aircraft took off from Runway 27 at Spanhose at 15:27 hours, and made a right turn towards the eastern end of Rutland Water. At about 15:29 hours, the pilot contacted the approach controller at RAF Cottesmore, stating that he was at 1,200 feet, just above a cloud layer; he requested clearance through the Military Aerodrome Traffic Zone (MATZ) at RAF Wittering. The controller informed the pilot that he was receiving a Flight Information Service, that
he was cleared through the Wittering MATZ and that he should report on final approach at Shacklewell Lodge.

A few moments later, the pilot requested the QFE at Wittering. The controller informed the pilot that Wittering was
closed, and that the Cottesmore QFE was 1,019 mb. The pilot then asked the controller for the cloud base at Cottesmore, and the controller replied “reported at er fifteen hundred we’ve got visibility of five thousand metres in haze cloud er clear sky clear”. The pilot acknowledged this information.

A few moments later, the controller requested the pilot to confirm that he was now on the ground at Shacklewell,
but received no reply. Despite repeated attempts by the controller to contact the aircraft, no further transmissions were received. Very soon afterwards, a Police helicopter pilot contacted the controller, stating that he was en-route to a possible aircraft crash at Rutland Water. Almost immediately afterwards, an air ambulance helicopter pilot also contacted the controller with similar information. The controller then suspected that G-BKFZ had crashed.

Although both helicopter pilots made attempts to reach the accident site, by descending at the edge of the fog bank which covered the area, neither was able to penetrate the thick fog".

A contemporary press report (see link #4) named the fatality: "Harry Barker, of Bourne Road, Carlby, was declared dead at the scene after his small light single-engine plane came down near the car park at Sykes Lane, Empingham. Mr Barker had celebrated his 85th birthday on Tuesday".

Nature of Damage sustained to airframe: Per the AAIB report "Aircraft destroyed". As a result, the registration G-BKFZ was cancelled by the CAA on 10-10-2008 as aircraft "destroyed"

1. AAIB: [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422fbfded915d1371000883/Piper_PA-28R-200_Cherokee_Arrow_II__G-BKFZ_06-09]
2. CAA: https://siteapps.caa.co.uk/g-info/rk=BKFZ
3. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/leicestershire/7244199.stm
4. https://www.rutland-times.co.uk/news/local/plane-crash-pilot-named-1-386516/
5. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/leicestershire/7248558.stm
6. https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/environment/tributes-pour-in-for-crash-pilot-harry-1-94561
7. https://www.bournelocal.co.uk/news/local/pilot-was-a-truly-wonderful-man-1-421954/
8. https://www.stamfordmercury.co.uk/news/family-mourns-death-of-crash-pilot-harry-85-1-488213/

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
14-Feb-2008 09:41	sinzman	Added
19-Feb-2008 06:15	JerseyPilot	Updated
20-Feb-2008 23:15	Fusko	Updated
17-Jun-2008 09:26	JINX	Updated
05-Nov-2009 04:30	RobertMB	Updated
22-Nov-2012 13:59	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative]
09-Dec-2014 18:06	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
21-Sep-2016 13:07	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]