ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 31497
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| Date: | Sunday 29 November 1987 |
| Time: | 14:29 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-32R-301T Turbo Saratoga SP |
| Owner/operator: | MM & G Aviation |
| Registration: | G-BNJS |
| MSN: | 32R-8229010 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Bow Fell, Lake District Southern Fells, Cumbria -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Staverton, Gloucestershire (EGBJ) |
| Prestwick, Ayrshire (PIK/EGPK) | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Piper PA-32R-301T Turbo Saratoga SP G-BNJS was written off 29 November 1987 when crashed into the summit of Bow Fell, Cumbria [at approximate co-ordinates 54°26′51″N 3°09′57″W]. The aircraft caught fire on impact, killing the pilot (sole person on board) Mr Arthur R Hiscox, aged 43.
The pilot of this aircraft was to have flown solo from Staverton to Prestwick, and using a route via Radnor, Wallasey and Deans Cross. The aircraft took off at 13.20 hours with the pilot having received a weather forecast for the Prestwick area and deemed to suitable to make the flight. The pilot held no instrument flying qualifications and should have flown keeping a visual fix on the ground.
The aircraft flew north and into the Lake District; on this date low cloud was reported to have been down to around 1,000 feet. Why the pilot was flying at just below 3,000 feet when the aircraft struck Bow Fell at around 14.30 hours is not known. As he had no instrument flying training and the cloud base was well below his height he cannot have seen the ground. The mountain was covered in snow at the time of the crew and although the crash was heard by walkers it is thought that the site was not located for some days after.
According to contemporary reports from the Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team:
"Sun, 29th November 1987, 16:11
Cumbria Police notified the team a light aircraft was missing. Then fell walkers reported it had crashed in low cloud at top of gulley" [at Bowfell] "and exploded. When the team found the wrecked 'Saratoga', the intense fire had burnt the pilots body beyond recognition. Guarded overnight by RAF Linton and RAF Stafford Mountain Rescue Teams. Helicopters from RAF Boulmer and Valley forced back due to adverse weather conditions.
Mon, 30th November 1987, 09:30
A helicopter from RAF Boulmer flew team, police, RAF Mountain Rescue Teams and the Department of Transport Aircraft Investigation Branch to site to recover the pilot's remains. Assisted AIB with examination of wreckage etc. Airlifted to Ambleside Rugby field late afternoon
Tue, 1st December 1987, 09:30
A small group of team members and the AIB flown to crash site by a helicopter from RAF Boulmer. By late afternoon, with site investigations completed, the wreckage was made secure — trundled down the gulley to screes below. Everyone flown back to Ambleside."
Registration G-BNJS was cancelled by the CAA on 11 July 1988 as aircraft "destroyed"
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB Final Report: https://www.gov.uk/aaib-reports/piper-pa32r-301t-saratoga-g-bnjs-29-november-1987
2. http://aircrashsites.co.uk/air-crash-sites-5/piper-saratoga-g-bnjs-on-bowfell/
3. http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/lakes/bnjs.html
4. G-BJNS at Sywell, Northants 4/7/1987: https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1008881
5. https://www.lamrt.org.uk/incidents/1987/incident/53
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowfell
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Sep-2008 01:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Jan-2015 04:12 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Date, Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Damage, Narrative] |
| 21-Jan-2015 04:14 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 21-Jan-2015 04:15 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location] |
| 13-Sep-2018 23:27 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Source] |
| 10-Sep-2020 22:06 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Source, Narrative] |
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