Nine injured in Kent aircraft crash
 

Linky to BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6440199.stm


Sadly, reports now inducated the pilot died in hospital. Hoping for a speedy recovery to all those involved.

Pilot died in hospital. Very sad :-( I jumped from that plane yesterday - Condolances to all involved.

Very sad news, It looked like everyone was relatively ok in early reports.

Where did the plane finish up?
The report was suggesting the airfield museum, although I'm sure there is another relic situated near the large hangar.

Kent Plane Crash - Aborted Take off
 

It seems the pilot who sadly passed away as a result of his injuries was unable to bring the aircraft to a halt before running out of runway.

Reason why.
 

Does anybody know why he/she aborted the take off?

thirtysomething

The report does not say the pilot passed away and neither did the BBC TV report this morning.

Floopy

Judging by where the aircraft ended up, it looks as if they were using 22. Is that right?

Sincere condolences to everyone involved or connected.

Divergant heading.
 

What was the weather like anybody know? If muddy stopping could be interesting on a grass field.

The last time I was there - last summer - the static display was some way away from the runway between the hangars and the club buildings. Quite a way from the centreline.

What a shame, a great place & nice people.

22 it is.

It's ended up in the side of an ex French Navy Super Sabre. A bit of a one sided contest.

Condolences to the family of the deceast and I hope the injured get well soon.

The brakes are useless anyway and the aircraft has a very high and forward C of G; you don't want to use both brakes at the same time.
Stopping would be a matter of reverse thrust which would only be available if he got the propeller control in but is very effective.
Twas a lovely aeroplane, too.

I work in Skydiving and speaking to people in the industry some are blaming a boggy wet runway , at some point its believed he decided he wasnt going to get the speed he needed and tried to abort.

Steve,
We flew together in the states,
we toured the coasts of northern france,
we bashed the bush strips here in Zambia,

Miss you already my good freind.

R.

Not flown a taildragger - but once the tailwheel is off the ground, if the power was cut I would suspect there would be a large and sudden loss of rudder authority - particularly with a large turbine engine.

Unless things have changed since I was last flying there in Sept 06, the runway finishes just short of an area that's just been re-tarmaced. The surrounding areas & area just short of the crash scene are bumpy/pitted & would offer little assistance to any attempts to use the brakes.

Shoo shoo, the Super Sabre that was hit is almost in line with the centre line of 22.

Well well,

Funny how everything that's been said so far on this subject is, as usual, complete bolleaux:rolleyes:

Please can we respect the deceased pilot, and stop the speculation...?

Martin@EGLK, check your PMs

Don't know about the weather at Headcorn on Sunday but Rochester has been closed on and off for weeks due to flooded runways.
I have been advised myself on a visit to Headcorn the location of the standing water whilst taxiing and asked politely not to brake too harshly so as to avoid leaving grooves down the runway.

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/news/def...ticle_id=31321 shows photo of damaged aircraft

I'm sure the boys & girls of the AAIB will get to the bottom of the cause, until then condolances to all involved.

It's not all bolleaux; some is pure fact.
It is human nature to ask the question why. No-one has criticized the pilot and the AAIB won't flinch for fear of offending his family; just plain facts.

More plane facts.
The controllability of the aircraft is the same during an aborted take-off is the same as for every landing.

The numbers for the Beaver are take-off ground roll, MTOM, 10 degrees C, sea level, dry concrete, no wind, 650' and 1450' to 50'. The runway in use was 550 metres of soggy grass.

The above figures are for the 550hp engine. The aircraft in question would, if following standard procedures due to noise abatement, be using 609 of the max permitted 680hp.

Steve was my instructor during much of my PPL, and the news is devastating. He was an excellent pilot, but more importantly, he was a great man with a great attitude to life. I will miss him loads.

Sad news indeed.

Steve was meant to come around and fix a couple of heaters for me next week.

There but for the grace of God go any of us. . .

BH