Microlight down, Delamere Forest?
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Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Northampton UK
Microlight down, Delamere Forest?
Various sources are reporting that a microlight was "seen crashing" in heavy rain Tuesday; no wreckage found and noone reported missing.
BBC News
RC
BBC News
RC
Last edited by rotorcraig; 14th August 2004 at 12:06.
Carbonfibre-based lifeform
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From: London
I assume it's safe to conclude by now that this was a false alarm.
Triggering this sort of report is always a bit of a worry when doing PFLs or landing at obscure strips. One place I go to regularly is literally a field (as opposed to an airfield) and has a road along one side. I do wonder whether people passing are frantically dialling the local plod on their mobile phones to report that they've just seem an aircraft plummet into a field.
The sheep are used to it and preserve their mobile minutes for more important things.
Triggering this sort of report is always a bit of a worry when doing PFLs or landing at obscure strips. One place I go to regularly is literally a field (as opposed to an airfield) and has a road along one side. I do wonder whether people passing are frantically dialling the local plod on their mobile phones to report that they've just seem an aircraft plummet into a field.
The sheep are used to it and preserve their mobile minutes for more important things.
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Northampton UK
Updated story at ic Cheshire Online
RC
Confusion at disappearance of aircraft after forest 'crash'
Aug 13 2004
by Barry Ellams, Chester Chronicle Newspapers
MYSTERY surrounds sightings of a small aircraft in distress over Delamere Forest on Tuesday night.
Police launched a full-scale search operation after four independent witnesses reported seeing a microlight or glider lose control and fall into an area of dense forest known as Thieves Moss.
But to date no evidence of the craft or pilot has been found and police decided to reduce the search on Wednesday afternoon in favour of other leads, including circulating information to police forces around the country.
A police spokesperson said: 'We are appealing to anyone who knows anyone who flies a glider or microlight who has not been in contact since Tuesday evening to get in contact with us.
'We also ask anyone who was flying the said aircraft in the area of Delamere Forest on Tuesday, even if they were not in any trouble, to please contact Northwich Police on 01606 48000 so we can eliminate them and help piece together what happened.'
The search of Delamere Forest began after the first reported sighting at 8.15pm on Tuesday, with sniffer dogs and handlers from the Mid Wales Search and Rescue Dogs Association receiving overhead support from the North Wales Police helicopter.
They continued until 4am, when deteriorating weather conditions in the forest made it impossible to conduct a meaningful search.
The land search resumed early on Wednesday by members of Cheshire Police search and rescue team, along with an unconventional rescue resource.
Foggy, wet weather prevented the police spotter plane from circling the forest, so Cheshire Police search advisor Sgt Martin Baker called on the South Cheshire Field Archers.
The archers were chosen for their detailed knowledge of Thieves Moss, the 40 acres of dense forest in which the aircraft was spotted and which the archers lease from the Forestry Commission.
Club secretary Dave Wheeler has spoken of how he came to spend Wednesday morning trekking the forest in his smartest clothes, ankle-deep in bogs and chest-high in nettles.
'I got to the office that morning and had a message from Sgt Baker asking could we assist the search so I phoned two other members and headed down to Delamere, still in my office clothes.
'We split the forest into thirds and did a thorough search, we were happy to help because who known when it might be one of us on the receiving end.'
Dave said the rescue was made more difficult by the terrain in that stretch of the forest, which is not accessible by public roads.
'Knowing the place well we could move through it quite quickly, but there are sink holes, hidden ditches and other hazards that made it hard work.
He added: 'Our archery is in harmony with the natural environment, we cut as little in the way of footpaths as we can and try to use natural signs to point the way between targets.'
Dave said his main worry was that Thieves Moss contains two deep gravel pits that have filled with water.
'I have a terrible feeling that the pilot may have seen them through the fog as nice flat surfaces and landed on them. It doesn't bear thinking about.'
A police spokesperson confirmed that they have liaised with underwater search teams but no divers have been dispatched to the site.
If you have any information phone Northwich Police on 01606 48000.
Aug 13 2004
by Barry Ellams, Chester Chronicle Newspapers
MYSTERY surrounds sightings of a small aircraft in distress over Delamere Forest on Tuesday night.
Police launched a full-scale search operation after four independent witnesses reported seeing a microlight or glider lose control and fall into an area of dense forest known as Thieves Moss.
But to date no evidence of the craft or pilot has been found and police decided to reduce the search on Wednesday afternoon in favour of other leads, including circulating information to police forces around the country.
A police spokesperson said: 'We are appealing to anyone who knows anyone who flies a glider or microlight who has not been in contact since Tuesday evening to get in contact with us.
'We also ask anyone who was flying the said aircraft in the area of Delamere Forest on Tuesday, even if they were not in any trouble, to please contact Northwich Police on 01606 48000 so we can eliminate them and help piece together what happened.'
The search of Delamere Forest began after the first reported sighting at 8.15pm on Tuesday, with sniffer dogs and handlers from the Mid Wales Search and Rescue Dogs Association receiving overhead support from the North Wales Police helicopter.
They continued until 4am, when deteriorating weather conditions in the forest made it impossible to conduct a meaningful search.
The land search resumed early on Wednesday by members of Cheshire Police search and rescue team, along with an unconventional rescue resource.
Foggy, wet weather prevented the police spotter plane from circling the forest, so Cheshire Police search advisor Sgt Martin Baker called on the South Cheshire Field Archers.
The archers were chosen for their detailed knowledge of Thieves Moss, the 40 acres of dense forest in which the aircraft was spotted and which the archers lease from the Forestry Commission.
Club secretary Dave Wheeler has spoken of how he came to spend Wednesday morning trekking the forest in his smartest clothes, ankle-deep in bogs and chest-high in nettles.
'I got to the office that morning and had a message from Sgt Baker asking could we assist the search so I phoned two other members and headed down to Delamere, still in my office clothes.
'We split the forest into thirds and did a thorough search, we were happy to help because who known when it might be one of us on the receiving end.'
Dave said the rescue was made more difficult by the terrain in that stretch of the forest, which is not accessible by public roads.
'Knowing the place well we could move through it quite quickly, but there are sink holes, hidden ditches and other hazards that made it hard work.
He added: 'Our archery is in harmony with the natural environment, we cut as little in the way of footpaths as we can and try to use natural signs to point the way between targets.'
Dave said his main worry was that Thieves Moss contains two deep gravel pits that have filled with water.
'I have a terrible feeling that the pilot may have seen them through the fog as nice flat surfaces and landed on them. It doesn't bear thinking about.'
A police spokesperson confirmed that they have liaised with underwater search teams but no divers have been dispatched to the site.
If you have any information phone Northwich Police on 01606 48000.
Coincidence??
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 537
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From: Northampton UK
Still no real update on this other than ic Cheshire Online:
RC
He added that police had dismissed a report from a man who runs a paranormal website about the possibility that what had been seen above the forest was a UFO.
