View Full Version : G-BGRL / PA38 / EGHR
Caledonian
11th Jan 2003, 05:05
Hi,
l got a call yesterday up here in scotland re the above mentioned aircraft wondering if l had came across it as it was missing, came out of goodwood yesterday afternoon.
l am presuming the fact nothing has been reported so far it was a non event, anyone else care to shed any light on this??
Caley
Deeko01
11th Jan 2003, 14:09
l also heard about this and was told authorities were worried due the fact the pilot was depressed when he left home, l sincerely hope all turns out well.
southdowns
11th Jan 2003, 15:14
I was at EGHR this morning. Was told that when they looked back at the radar recording the aircraft was seen manouvering near Bognor before heading out to sea, was last seen about 8 miles south of Bognor (over the sea). Search & rescue had not found anything. Also, the pilot does not have a night rating.
southdowns
13th Jan 2003, 09:35
Aircraft search is called off
The search by Coastguard helicopter and lifeboat crews for a light aircraft that failed to return to an airfield was called off last night.
Gerry Mepham, in his fifties and from Barnham, West Sussex, has not been seen since he left Goodwood Airfield near Chichester, West Sussex, in a Piper Tomahawk on Friday. The airfield said RAF radar tapes showed a plane fly out to sea before disappearing from the screen.
Source: http://www.dailytelegraph.co.uk
From Annanova;
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_739243.html
Police believe missing pilot crashed into sea
The pilot of a light plane which failed to return to an airfield is thought to have crashed into the sea.
Gerry Mepham took off alone from Goodwood Airfield near Chichester, West Sussex, in a Piper Tomahawk aircraft on Friday.
The flight was only meant to take 45 minutes and he told air traffic controllers he would return to the airfield, but has not been seen since.
A major air and sea search was launched, but a Sussex police spokesman says no trace of either Mr Mepham, from Barnham, near Bognor Regis, or his plane have been found.
The spokesman said: "It is believed Mr Mepham and his plane have been lost at sea. His mother and family have been informed."
The airfield said on Friday that radar tapes obtained by the RAF had shown a plane from Goodwood fly out to sea before disappearing from the screen.
A spokesman for Goodwood said Mr Mepham, who was in his mid fifties, flew regularly from the airfield.
However, he was not qualified to fly at night and staff alerted the emergency services when he had not returned by nightfall on Friday.
Story filed: 12:58 Monday 13th January 2003
rustle
14th Jan 2003, 12:53
More info:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2656491.stm
2WingsOnMyWagon
14th Jan 2003, 16:57
Waste of a good aircraft by the sounds of it then.:mad:
Remmington
15th Jan 2003, 09:48
Search continues for missing Sussex pilot
Police are continuing their search for a missing pilot.
They've searched the Sussex coast, looking for teacher Gerry Mepham. He took off alone from Goodwood on Friday.
poetpilot
16th Jan 2003, 07:25
2 Wings..... Npt only a waste of a good aeroplane, but a waste and cost on the all the services called out to deal with the incident IMHO (and if the police allegations/suspicions are proven).
Sorry to sound unsympathetic but to anyone who feels like ending it in an aeroplane, just think carefully about your selfish intentions before you do so. Think about all the people who have to search for you, find the wreck, etc etc.
Then think again.
Probably politically incorrect to state it so bluntly but these days it seems that no-one wants to state things clearly any more.