ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 200014
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| Date: | Thursday 28 September 2017 |
| Time: | 16:00 LT |
| Type: |  Europa Monowheel |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | G-MIME |
| MSN: | PFA 247-12850 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2001 |
| Engine model: | Rotax 912 ULS |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Wolds Lane, Wolvey, Warwickshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Grave Farm, Wolvey, Warwickshire |
| Wolvey, Warwickshire | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A light aircraft impacted a field at Wolds Lane, Wolvery, Warwickshire, and burst into flames. Both occupants sustained serious injuries. Two men had managed to get out and had found help at a nearby farm where workers were cooling their burns with water. Both men were anaesthetised at the scene and were airlifted separately to the Regional Burns Unit at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham for specialist treatment; both were described as being in a critical condition. One occupant eventually died from the injuries sustained in the crash. The aircraft was reportedly "completely destroyed by fire".
According to the official press release from the West Midlands Ambulance Service:
"Two airlifted after light aircraft crashes
by officialwmas
Thursday 28th September 2017
6.20pm – Murray MacGregor.
Two men have been airlifted with serious burns after the light aircraft they were in crashed. The incident happened in field beside Wolds Lane, just outside Wolvey in Warwickshire at about 4.00pm on Thursday afternoon.
Two ambulances, a senior paramedic officer and two air ambulances were sent to the scene. Both the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Staffordshire travelled with doctors on board.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “When crews arrived they found a single engined light aircraft that had been completely destroyed by fire. Two men had managed to get out and had found help at a nearby farm where workers were cooling their burns with water.
“Both men were anaesthetised at the scene and were airlifted separately to the Regional Burns Unit at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham for specialist treatment; both were described as being in a critical condition.”
Eventually also the second occupant died from the injuries sustained in the crash. A report in the "Coventry Evening Telegraph" for 12 October 2017 (see link #9) named the two fatalities thus:
"The two men who died in last month’s light aircraft crash in Wolvey have been named by police. Adrian Findlay, 55, from Rugby, and Robert Stephens, 56, from Wolston, died after the plane they were in crashed to a field off Wolds Lane, near to Grove Farm, and burst in to flames on Thursday, September 28. Both men were airlifted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham with serious burns, but both sadly passed away."
AAIB final report:
Analysis
The aircraft passed through a hedge at the end of Runway 29 on landing at Grove Farm strip and caught re immediately. Ground marks showed that the aircraft touched down some distance from the beginning of the runway and bounced before touching down again with insuf cient distance to stop before the hedge.
The ground marks indicated that the aircraft was on the ground at the end of the runway and evidence from the propeller indicated the engine was at low power. As the aircraft passed through the hedge and the shallow ditch beyond, the fuselage was disrupted, particularly in the area behind the cockpit. This most likely caused damage to the fuel system that allowed fuel to escape which was then ignited by a spark from the damaged electrical system.
There were no witnesses to the preparation or ight of the aircraft and no distress calls were heard on the radio.
The technical examination was limited by the severity and extent of the post-accident re but, within these limitations and after a review of the maintenance documentation, no anomalies that may have contributed to the accident were identi ed.
The aircraft was eligible for approval to use E5 MOGAS fuel, but the inspections and checks of the fuel system required for approval had not been completed. These verify that the fuel system design and installation is compatible with the use of E5 MOGAS to avoid issues associated with its use such as chemical compatibility of components, vapour locking, carburettor icing and water absorption. Carburettor icing was considered unlikely during the accident ight because the aircraft had a permanent carburettor heat system tted. It could not be determined whether the other issues associated with this type of fuel had an adverse effect on the accident flight.
It was not determined why the pilot decided to y a circuit before attempting to land rather than completing the local ight as intended. He had signi cant experience of operating into the strip and would have been familiar with the need to touch down close to the beginning of the runway. A technical fault, or a change of plan for some other undetermined reason may have led to the pilot’s decision to immediately return to land and, if so, this distraction might have contributed to the touchdown point being signi cantly further down the runway than intended. However, no cause for such a distraction was identi ed during the investigation.
It is likely that there was turbulence in the nal stages of the approach caused by the southerly wind crossing the trees immediately south of the Runway 29 threshold. It is possible that this affected the aircraft’s touchdown point.
Conclusion
The aircraft took off from Runway 29 at Grove Farm with a pilot and passenger on board who, according to witnesses, intended to y into the local area. After takeoff, for a reason that was not determined, the aircraft was immediately positioned for an approach to land. The aircraft touched down beyond the threshold of the runway, bounced and touched down again with insuf cient distance to stop before a hedge at the end of the runway. It passed through the hedge, caught re and came to rest in the eld beyond. Although both the pilot and passenger survived the accident, they subsequently died of the burns they sustained.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/two-fighting-lives-after-plane-13690463
2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-41434164
3. https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/pair-critically-ill-after-plane-550410
4. https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/two-suffer-serious-burns-after-13690493
5. https://wmas.nhs.uk/2017/09/28/two-airlifted-after-light-aircraft-crashes/
6. https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/man-dies-after-plane-crashes-13692587
7. https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/second-man-dies-light-aircraft-13696827
8. https://siteapps.caa.co.uk/g-info/
9. https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/tributes-two-men-who-died-13752935
AAIB final report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5aa7dee8ed915d4f595c5783/Europa_G-MIME_04-18.pdf
Images:
G-MIME landing at Turweston Aerodrome in 2016
Media:
Europa light aircraft fatal accident, Warwickshire, 28 Sept 17 https://t.co/faryQCQGWx pic.twitter.com/sR2BJXqzry
— AAIB (@aaibgovuk) 12 avril 2018
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Sep-2017 18:54 | FERRYAIR | Added |
| 28-Sep-2017 18:56 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Nature, Source, Narrative] |
| 28-Sep-2017 19:43 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Time, Embed code, Plane category] |
| 29-Sep-2017 06:06 | Anon. | Updated [Aircraft type, Embed code] |
| 29-Sep-2017 07:23 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator] |
| 29-Sep-2017 10:29 | Aerossurance | Updated [Location, Nature] |
| 29-Sep-2017 12:03 | gerard57 | Updated [Total fatalities, Source, Narrative] |
| 29-Sep-2017 17:19 | Anon. | Updated [Narrative] |
| 29-Sep-2017 21:02 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Phase, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 29-Sep-2017 21:03 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Embed code, Narrative] |
| 29-Sep-2017 21:04 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source] |
| 30-Sep-2017 09:40 | gerard57 | Updated [Total fatalities, Source, Narrative] |
| 01-Oct-2017 19:49 | The Arb | Updated [Registration, Cn, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source] |
| 07-Oct-2017 13:06 | aviatoruk | Updated [Source, Photo, ] |
| 11-Oct-2017 01:02 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source] |
| 09-Mar-2018 22:43 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 09-Mar-2018 22:45 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative] |
| 12-Apr-2018 12:16 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative, Photo, ] |
| 15-Apr-2018 13:49 | harro | Updated [Embed code] |
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