Accident Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior II G-BJYG,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 44796
 
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Date:Sunday 4 July 2004
Time:11:39 UTC
Type:Silhouette image of generic P28A model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior II
Owner/operator:Cheshire Air Training School
Registration: G-BJYG
MSN: 28-8216053
Year of manufacture:1981
Engine model:Lycoming O-320-D3G
Fatalities:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Liverpool Bay, Hoylake, 3 miles NE of Wallasey VOR, Cheshire -   United Kingdom
Phase: En route
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Liverpool Airport, Speke, Liverpool (LPL/EGGP)
Destination airport:Liverpool Airport, Speke, Liverpool (LPL/EGGP)
Investigating agency: AAIB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
On July 4, 2004, at 11:39 hours UTC, a Piper PA-28-161, G-BJYG, registered to Cheshire Air Training School, and operated by a private pilot, ditched into Liverpool Bay, off Hoylake, 2 nautical miles north of Wallasey, Merseyside, following a loss of engine power. The pilot and one passenger received fatal injuries and the airplane was substantially damaged. The flight departed Liverpool Airport at 11:06 hours local on July 4, 2004, from Runway 27 and then turned left, climbing towards Chester, a visual reporting point to the south. As he departed from the vicinity of the airport he was instructed to change to the Liverpool Approach frequency and he later reported on that frequency that he was leaving the zone at Chester.

Just over half an hour later, at 11:38 hours, the pilot made a 'PAN' call on Liverpool Approach frequency in which he passed information that he was "OFF WALLASEY" losing altitude and losing power. In reply the pilot was given heading information for a direct return to the airport. Half a minute after his 'PAN' call the pilot broadcast a 'MAYDAY' call saying that he was ditching the aircraft.

There were two training aircraft from Liverpool Airport in the immediate area where the aircraft ditched. They flew overhead the site and although they could see the spot where the aircraft entered the water there was no sign of it, or of any wreckage. Two nearby lifeboats launched and were on scene very quickly but were not able to find any evidence of the aircraft in their search of the area. The aircraft sank into water approximately 25 feet deep.

As the tide fell the aircraft was located and at 18:45 hours the two bodies were recovered by divers. A contemporary BBC report (see link #6) named the two persons on board that were killed as Martin Gardner, and his wife, Nora Gardner, both aged 56 and from the Liverpool area. There was a suspicion that the pilot may have committed suicide However, at the inquest, the jury returned a verdict of "accidental death".

Aircraft presumably written off (damaged beyond repair) as the registration G-BJYG was cancelled by the CAA on 21 March 2005 as aircraft "destroyed"

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: AAIB
Report number: EW/C2004/07/01
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:

1. NTSB Identification: ATL04WA147 at https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief2.aspx?_ev_id=20040824X01275&ntsbno=ATL04WA147&akey=1
2. CAA: https://siteapps.caa.co.uk/g-info/rk=BJYG
3. AAIB: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422ec01ed915d13710000bb/G-BJYG.pdf
4. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2005/01/13/porn-suspect-s-air-death-still-mystery-92534-15071022/
5. http://www.southport.gb.com/southport/news_list/Liverpool_Bay_Plane_Crash_Update-33658.htm
6. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/4168695.stm
7. http://derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/3731
8. http://derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/13889/liverpool-aviation-accidents-incidents
9. http://www.fola.org.uk/0927/120.pdf
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoylake

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
28-Oct-2008 00:45 ASN archive Added
21-Nov-2012 16:07 Dr. John Smith Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Cn, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
03-Dec-2014 16:25 Dr. John Smith Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative]
03-Dec-2014 16:32 Dr. John Smith Updated [Damage, Narrative]
11-Jan-2016 18:51 Dr.John Smith Updated [Narrative]
11-Jan-2016 18:57 Dr.John Smith Updated [Location, Source, Narrative]
04-Aug-2016 14:39 Dr.John Smith Updated [Source, Narrative]
04-Aug-2016 14:40 Dr.John Smith Updated [Narrative]
04-Aug-2016 14:41 Dr.John Smith Updated [Narrative]
04-Aug-2016 14:43 Dr.John Smith Updated [Narrative]
29-Nov-2020 00:32 Dr. John Smith Updated [Source, Narrative, Accident report]

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