Extra 230 crash Oxfordshire 2/4/22
 

Crashed into an empty block of flats at Upper Heyford after pilot bailed out, seems he may have been badly injured.

Thames Valley Police said it happened at about 12:00 BST on Saturday. The pilot has been taken to John Radcliffe Hospital, but the extent of his injuries is unknown.
"An eye witness described seeing the pilot parachuting down on to the roof of the old RAF base."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...shire-60967351

Looks like G-MIIL.
Aft fuselage and tail paint scheme (have a look at https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1770638 ) and partial registration seems to corroborate FR24 data (yes I know, can't be trusted, etc, etc.)

Extremely lucky pilot, if you ask me. Looks like he was straight&level at about 2000 feet, and whatever (catastrophical) happened, it seems he was able to get out in time and use his chute. Wow!
Looong time did some gliding and always wonderd what the realistic minimum altitude would be in case of a catastrophic event (structural, midair, etc), giving the startle effect, unusal g-load & attitude, canopy ejection, strap release, etc.

Think you're spot on with that ID DIBO.
Knowing that aircraft and the pilot something must have gone TWANG and very rapidly become un-recoverable.

Dare I say it; De-Wintersisation is so important.
You can't just jump in and go like it's last September.

It's a slow, steady process waking up the aircraft and getting her Flight Ready from her Winter Slumber.

Yes - based at Bicester with Angels High, imported less than a year ago.

What's your initial take on it Dave - In fact - what is it? it's so tiny.


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....1dbc7e852c.jpg

Are you referring to the plane as a whole?? 'Cos, besides the tailwheel qualifiable as 'small', this Extra NG comes within 10%-ish smaller than a C172 with twice the horsepower... :)

Rob Davies got out of a Mustang at Duxford at about 500' after it was disabled by a Skyraider a few years ago - he planned and practiced bailing out regularly and jettisoned the canopy seconds after the collision before trying to control the aircraft. The 'chute was made by Strong and was fully developed by maybe 150'.

so a full 3 seconds to spare....
Was once in a near midair as close as one gets before hearing a loud noise, and ducking the head in one arm and slamming the stick forward with the other, I looked up again having lost half the height at somewhere about Vne. Can't tell how long that took, as most of the event is still recorded in memory in slow motion.... Do remember flying the right-hand circuit with the right leg shaking uncontrollably...

I was reading about that in my MO's office before going in for my medical - and I failed the BP test. He had to lie me down on a cot for half an hour before it settled down so he could pass me. He laughed and said he would remove flying magazines form his waiting room!

Wings torn off but no fire. Does the craft have fuel cells or regular tanks?

Mjb

Extra NG, occupants would be wearing chutes for aeros.


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....e6e275c69.jpeg

In this case, the occupant (singular) was.

Does the UK require chutes for aerobatics as does the USA? Not the case here in Oz.

No, and there are some that don't wear them. I've flown an Extra 200 as my hour with an instructor and had the only parachute.

I can only think of a few reasons to jump out of an aircraft if it wasn`t being `stunted and bunted` at the time;
loss of the prop which may take it out of the C of G envelope;may have broken engine mounts..
`Flutter` of the elevator/tailplane,although it looks like half the tailplane and both elevators are intact;
Massive fuel leak into the cockpit,assuming fuel tank is fwd of front seat..
And I`ve had experience of both the last two whilst testing for the PFA(as was)...

The local plod (Thames Valley) were at one point reported as saying that the occupant was rescued from the wreckage. Three witnesses are reported as seeing the pilot bale out.
Looking at the wreckage I have to doubt the (alleged) police report.

Isn't this a two-seater? Both reports could have been correct. Although a single occupant has been reported as well.

Any experts here on the seat harness arrangement in an Extra? I believe there are two separate lap straps with unlatch handles pointing in different directions, but I haven’t flown this type.

totally no expert here, but I understand this as single-point release (luckily), only closing in opposite directions

Must have been some kind of catastrophic event, approaching steadily, fairly S&L, with (forced) landing options all over the place, and then suddenly the split-second decision to bail out....probably with only seconds to spare.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....2c3decd1a4.jpg
* FR24 - ADS-B based, but nevertheless interpret cautiously.