Light aircraft missing in North Sea between Norway & Shetland

[exlatccatsa]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-66996245

From the BBC website, departed Germany with 1 soul on board no destination given. Believed to be missing in UK area of responsibility.

[Maoraigh1]

Found BBC item - eventually. No trace and search called off. Only one search aircraft - fixed wing.. Between Norway and Shetland. Destination not known. Departed Germany. Nothing in other media.
Seems strange.
Edit: Now the Daily Record has it. Makes sense as plane went missing on 30 Sept and rescue flight began midday 2 Oct.

[exlatccatsa]

I wonder why such a long time between the date of flight and the start of the search operation?
Why was no one talking to the aircraft? RT cover low level is so much better nowadays as is radar coverage with the Multilateration system.

[treadigraph]

It was a German C172 D-EDDH. ADSB Exchange last recorded it heading NW from Hamburg roughly towards Aberdeen.

[ETOPS]

Missing on the 30th Sept but search sent out on 2nd Oct? What the heck! Also flying at over 6000 ft should have been visible to ATC.

[treadigraph]

Did wonder if perhaps the German authorities have been made aware of something in the background, hence no particular need to search any further. Sad.

[ETOPS]

Looking closer the last trace was at 14.11z on the 30th Sept cruising at FL085 about 80nm east of Shetland. I'm wondering if a flight plan was actually filed as the slow response might indicate Scottish weren't actually aware of this aircraft?

[7AC]

By one's own hand, I suspect.

[exlatccatsa]

At FL85 and 80 East of Shetland, he should have been working Aberdeen Rebros or Brent or Stavanger.
The Multilat track I found by Googling the callsign shows the track disappearing about 50 West of the Danish/German border. Well in the Danish AOR.

[ETOPS]

This trace shows the aircraft later and a lot closer to Shetland..

https://uk.flightaware.com/live/flight/DEDDH

[exlatccatsa]

I wonder what his destination was considering he was 6 hours into that flight and Sumburgh closes at 1615 on a Saturday?
It would be Interesting to see his flightplaned endurance, perhaps he had ferry tanks? Unst or Scatsa would have been possible in an emergency.

[ETOPS]

I'm coming round to the idea his destination doesn't appear on any Jeppesen chart :hmm:

[Liffy 1M]

The available flight history for the aircraft on Flightaware shows that it was used almost exclusively for local flights in the Hamburg area, so a flight across the North Sea was very much out of the ordinary.

[exlatccatsa]

I'm coming round to the idea his destination doesn't appear on any Jeppesen chart :hmm:
I was thinking that as I was writing my last comment but didn't want to be the one to say it.
If it is in the water the sea may give up.the body after a few months.
In the mid 80s I was working when a light aircraft was handed over from Scottish FIR.I seem to remember it might have been a Robin or similar heading back from Oskosh. The first call to us was a Mayday as his engine had just failed, and he ditched, I believe it was in the vicinity of the MCP1 rig. Despite The SAR Nimrod and Seaking being on scene within the hour, nothing was seen. The body was found several weeks later close to the Tartan rig if I remember correctly. I've looked in the AAIB reports but can't find one to match. It was a European registered single between 84 and 87.

[treadigraph]

This one: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/68256

[exlatccatsa]

This one: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/68256
Yes that looks like the one.

[212man]

This one: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/68256
I assume they mean the body was found by the Beryl field (not Barrel!)

[India Four Two]

Thanks 212man. Saved me looking up a North Sea field I had never heard of!

[212man]

Thanks 212man. Saved me looking up a North Sea field I had never heard of!I flew there for 5 years. Excellent full English breakfasts!