Light Aircraft Down - Buckingham

[F4TCT]

BBC News - One dead in light aircraft crash (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-28877104)

[Mike744]

Pilot dies as his light aircraft crashes in a field near Buckingham | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2731175/Pilot-dies-light-aircraft-crashes-field-near-Buckingham.html)

[sharpend]

Always very bad news to hear of a light aircraft crash. RIP pilot.

Is it just me, or have their been more than usual lately? If so, is there a common reason?

[MacBoero]

Very saddening. It was a friend of mine.

[A and C]

I would speculate that the reason for more accidents is likely to stem from a the extra regulatory burden and the extra expense that follows that have reduced the hours that people are flying.

One should remember that the UK CAA supervised a system that resulted in a world class safety system that resulted in one of the worlds lowest accident rates.

We now have a system were EU states that had appalling accident rates have influence over regulation, couple that with the European love of over regulation and you have a safety system that has a prime objective of keeping the administrators of that system employed....... Not of keeping GA safe.

[trinnydriver]

WTF X Factor girl's fraudster father killed in Buckinghamshire plane crash - UK - News - London Evening Standard (http://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/x-factor-girls-fraudster-father-killed-in-buckinghamshire-plane-crash-9698720.html)

[stevelup]

How on earth did he manage to send a text whilst spinning towards the ground?

[Simplythebeast]

Texting while spinning? How was he going to recover from a spin while on his mobile? Seems a bit odd.

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Well, it's one up on those pilots who have been killed because they got on the radio with a 'Mayday' instead of flying the aeroplane. It may be an old mantra but it's no less true for that; aviate, navigate, communicate, in that order.

[ShyTorque]

I've never before heard of someone doing this. It seems almost impossible that a qualified pilot would get hold of his phone rather than keep hold of the controls and keep trying to save the situation.

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Well he does seem to have been a shady character. I mean, associating with the Blairs?

[stevelup]

Well, there are at least two possibilities.

1) Completely untrue - he never texted anything at all. Let's face it, this is a newspaper report we're talking about...

2) He did text - in which case he may have done it before deliberately having an 'accident'...

I find it difficult to accept that anyone would be able to send a text in those circumstances, nor even want to. It'd surely be the last thing on anyones mind...

[Whirlybird]

I too find it completely unbelievable.

[SpannerInTheWerks]

2) He did text - in which case he may have done it before deliberately having an 'accident'...


... is (probably) the correct answer?

The question is why would he want to put himself in that position - unless there are other revelations yet to be revealed?!?!

Sad in any event.

[Simplythebeast]

Is it possible that he was mortally injured in the accident but managed to text a message to his family before passing out and dying?

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Quote:
2) He did text - in which case he may have done it before deliberately having an 'accident'...
... is (probably) the correct answer?

That occurred to me. But IF that's what he did (as someone else pointed out, it is only a newspaper report and we know how 'accurate' those often are), I can't see it washing with any insurance company.

[ETOPS]

I actually used to know this chap, many years ago, when he turned up on the Manchester scene. He made enquiries about learning to fly on a twin, buying a Citation and building an airstrip. This from a lad who looked about 15 years old. A little while later he did start an airstrip next to the M6 near Holmes Chapel - you can still see the remains of the small Tarmac touchdown zones he put in.

Later I followed the "Arrows" fraud trial with amazement as some of it was centred around Altrincham where I lived.

Have to say I'm very sorry he lost his life this way - I'm guessing there will be some interesting revelations to come...

[Above The Clouds]

I actually used to know this chap, many years ago, when he turned up on the Manchester scene. He made enquiries about learning to fly on a twin, buying a Citation and building an airstrip. This from a lad who looked about 15 years old. A little while later he did start an airstrip next to the M6 near Holmes Chapel - you can still see the remains of the small Tarmac touchdown zones he put in.

Later I followed the "Arrows" fraud trial with amazement as some of it was centred around Altrincham where I lived.


Not only did I know him but flew with him just before the fraud case came to light all those years ago.

[bartonflyer]

I actually used to know this chap, many years ago, when he turned up on the Manchester scene. He made enquiries about learning to fly on a twin, buying a Citation and building an airstrip. This from a lad who looked about 15 years old. A little while later he did start an airstrip next to the M6 near Holmes Chapel - you can still see the remains of the small Tarmac touchdown zones he put in.

Later I followed the "Arrows" fraud trial with amazement as some of it was centred around Altrincham where I lived.

Have to say I'm very sorry he lost his life this way - I'm guessing there will be some interesting revelations to come...

I too knew him many years ago - I installed a computer system and accounting software for him - though I hasten to add I gave no advice on dodgy use of said software!

Can you see the airstrip remains on Google Earth? I've had a quick browse around the M6 near Holmes Chapel but can't find anything obvious.

[INeedTheFull90]

If you look up Brereton Lane on west side of m6 you can see an east/west runway shape with hard surfaces at either touch down zone.

[bartonflyer]

If you look up Brereton Lane on west side of m6 you can see an east/west runway shape with hard surfaces at either touch down zone.

Thanks - I'll have to fly over and take a look!

[ETOPS]

The alignment is around 25/07 so points towards the centre of Holmes Chapel from just a few yards west of the motorway. Two rectangles of tarmac separated by around 400 yards...

Would still make a great strip today...:{

[India Four Two]

If you download "UKAirfields.kmz" from : (http://www.rickdavis.co.uk/home/airfields.php)

UK Airfields POIs for Google Earth (http://www.rickdavis.co.uk/home/airfields.php)

you will see it is labelled "Dawfields"

[GGR155]

A friend of mine worked for Arrows back in the 80's. I visited their offices a couple of times and was always intrigued at seeing a pilots licence and IMC rating in frames behind the reception desk belonging to the company boss along with the certificate of company registration.

[INeedTheFull90]

Somewhat exactly is the story of the runway? Why two patches either end? Is the idea to touch down on the Tarmac and roll out on the grass? Or isn't just a matter of the runway being started but not finished?

[bartonflyer]

As ever Google is your friend - some background here

Sproston Green / Dawfields (http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php?8682-Sproston-Green-Dawfields)

[INeedTheFull90]

Thanks for that. That looks an interesting site. Never heard of it.

[Above The Clouds]

Why two patches either end? Is the idea to touch down on the Tarmac and roll out on the grass? Or isn't just a matter of the runway being started but not finished?


He could not get planning permission for a full tarmac runway so he placed the two hard ends to land the Citation, I believe it landed there once then the fraud squad caught up with him, but not before he had sold the house to a relative for a pound so they could not impound it.

I still remember him crashing the C340 while trying to land on someones drive way whilst arriving at a party, yes you read it correctly.

He finally went down for fraudulent loan applications for property developemnt but of course spent the money on his lavish live style, 1 x Citation, 1 x Hughes 500, 1 x Beech Duchess, 1 x Cessna 340 a personnel hanger at EGCC south side .

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

I still remember him crashing the C340 while trying to land on someones drive way whilst arriving at a party, yes you read it correctly.

Any references to this? AAIB report?

[tmmorris]

Longleat?

http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/Cessna%20340A,%20G-BKAN10-91.pdf

[Oldpilot55]

It looks like Darwinism was at work.

[Above The Clouds]

tmmorris

Longleat?


That's the one.

[Piltdown Man]

What an interesting person. A little googling and you'll see that this pilot has an amazing past. And if you combine his aviation background (twins, jets, helicopters) with his personal background (big business, fraud, association with "new Labour"), you should ask the question - why on earth was he in a nasty aircraft like a PA38? These aircraft are only flown when you don't know any better. Add in the possible texting before impact (surely not after) and then ask was yourself the question, was this an own goal?

I would not be surprised if unpleasant things rise to the surface over the next month or so.

PM

[Agaricus bisporus]

texted his family to say the light aircraft had spun “out of control” moments before the crash in Buckinghamshire last Wednesday.

...means he texted to say the aircraft had spun out of control before crashing, not that he texted before crashing.

So presumably he survived the crash for a while.

[cockney steve]

Or, one could make a deduction from the hype,-
" He lost , then regained control of the aircraft, known in some circles, not unjustifiably, as the"traumahawk" During the Adrenaline-rush of relief, he texted the news, unfortunately, this detracted from his primary tasks
A viate N avigate C ommunicate neglecting "A" allowed the Traumahawk to take a second bite, this time , it won.

OTOH, he could have been looking for a "way out" so his family could claim the insurance. Wouldn.t be the first...Man in the Canoe? Lord Lucan?

there's more to surface, i'm sure.
A man who seemingly had the ability to divert large sums of other peoples' cash on a luxury lifestyle, doesn't suddenly downgrade from a Rolls to a beat-up ex- taxi Mondeo, for no reason.!