C172 accident at Derby Egginton Airfield.

[6f1]

Looking through the local paper from a couple of weeks ago I see that a C172 landing at this airfield tried to fly through some 11KV power lines,blacking out 300 houses in the local village.
I wondered if anybody had any more details on this accident as there seem to be none on pprune as yet?

[Sir George Cayley]

To the a/c occupants however over 50 people are claiming compensation for a number of unspecified injuries through "We'll get you compo lawyers dot us"

SGC

[twoyouone]

G-TRAX Cessna 172 Skyhawk


The approach to Derby 28 requires very careful judgement as the LDA is only 260 metres and the HT cables pass across the glide slope at a height of about 6 metres approximately 150 metres prior to the threshold. The cables are supposed to be highlighted by the presence of large hi-viz balls strung at intervals in the vicinity of the glide slope but it isn't known if they were actually there at the time.


About 300 homes had their power cut off and repairs were still being made to the lines by the power company in the late evening

[Helicopterdriverguy]

If the power line wasn't highlighted properly, would it be national grids liability or the airfield operator, or both?!

[twoyouone]

I believe the power lines were in position long before the airfield was opened.

[Gertrude the Wombat]

If the power line wasn't highlighted properly
Seems to me to be adequately highlighted in my copy of Pooleys.

I personally wouldn't attempt to land on that runway in a 172, too short for me according to my sums. (Others may do different sums with different assumptions for different 172s and come to different conclustions of course.)

[Piper.Classique]

Yes, well. If you really want to land a C172 on a shortish runway with power cables on the approach it might be as well to practice approaching with a steeper glide path before doing it for real. But then I don't like three degree approaches anyway.

[6f1]

How did this airfield ever get an approval from the CAA with power lines so close on the final approach?
Many farm strips I have been into have had the power lines routed below ground but then again I suppose safety comes first on farm strips!

[TCAS FAN]

6f1

All runways at Derby are Code 1, therefore to meet CAA licensing standards have better than a 1:20 m (5%) obstacle free approach slope gradient, as this slope starts 30 metres before the threshold. The offending power lines must have been below this approach slope, otherwise the runway would not have been licensed. Draw your own conclusions why the power lines were hit.

[6f1]

TCAS fan
Thanks for that this obviously how Derby is licensed.

[twoyouone]

I spoke to a Derby pilot today who tells me that although the replaced high voltage lines are now festooned with reflectors etc. like a Christmas tree, they were, in fact, as bare as the Venus di Milo prior to the incident.

[Gertrude the Wombat]

high voltage lines are now festooned with reflectors etc
And we'll now get to see how well they do with high winds or ice and snow :confused:

[ChickenHouse]

@TF: I suspect the short LDA@28 = 261m is the result of that slope and I agree that it needs some real short field landing practice to get down on such a 451m nominal. I flew to some quite short field with the C172, down to 390m nominals, but such fields require good short field technique, awareness of WnB, little fuel, less crew ...

[S-Works]

I had my Cessna maintained there for years by the excellent David Jones and never once thought the airfield was an issue to fly into. They provide a good brief on every runway in use and any pilot should be able to fly in without issue.

I really have no idea why people make such a meal of it. The published distances are nothing like the reality. Its like flying into Sibson which has the shortest licensed runway (or it did before the licence went) which actually has acres of space.