Light aircraft crash in Andover (merged)
 

BBC reporting 2 killed in light aircraft crash in Andover.

Accident near Andover
 

BBC reporting a crash near Andover with two fatalities. Very sad news.

From my sources it was nothing to do with Thruxton (no fixed-wing arrived or departed all day despite the BSB on), although it crashed near the A303.

How long before the volcanic ash is blamed for this?

I was flying one of Western Air's PA28s today. It's not on the BBC News website at the time of writing.

Looks at least like a suitable location to put down.

From the CAA website.

Okay, it's not strong, but it's advice.

A "clearance" from the Met Office.

Gosh, that sounds really important.

I never knew the MO issued clearances.

I should re-sit my PPL exams. Obviously the 3000 euro Hungarian ones didn't prepare me for flying in the United Kingdom.

Er, NOTAM.

GDF - "and straight away they jump on the ash theory "

quote BBC - A Hampshire Police spokesman said: "It is too early to say whether ash was a factor but it will form part of the investigation."

sounds just the opposite to me

The current NOTAM says

Perfectly good advice and I certainly wouldn't fly at levels where I thought I might encounter ash but this is certainly not advice not to fly. Also, since when did pilots refer to the CAA website rather than NOTAMs before undertaking a flight and if the CAA think the MO issue clearances maybe they should resit their airlaw.

I'm fairly angry about this and the BBC's coverage of it as it suggests very strongly that the commander of this aircraft who obviously can't defend him or herself must have been acting irresponsibly. This is an implicit and quite unwarranted slander. I'll be very surprised indeed if the VA turns out to have had anything at all to do with this accident and though I can kind of understand the BBC getting the idea that nothing should be flying if that's what the CAA are telling them they tend to accept the CAA as infallible authority. stions

No - the casual listener will put the 2 items together and assume that ash is a likely cause.

It would have been better not to have mentioned anything, but a sloppy journo would probably have asked a stupid question that led to this answer.

I think it's a bit harsh to determine that the very mention of VA is as a result of some 'sloppy journo'.

I think that the general public would more than likely be of the view that an aircraft which crashed during a period when severe airspace restrictions are in place across much of Europe (and have been the top story of most news bulletins for near two days) must have been as a result of volcanic ash. Most people are going to put the two together and reach the conclusion that the two are related. I actually believe in this case the media are highlighting that it is far too early to determine the cause of the accident and I think it is prudent that people are made aware of this.

That said, it should not detract from the fact that two people lost their lives today in tragic circumstances and my thoughts are them and their families. Very sad indeed.

Anyone with an IQ of at least 2 digits will make the association of "ash" with "aircraft accident" at the moment. We've all seen the interviews with Moody. To say "It is too early to say whether ash was a factor but it will form part of the investigation" is a correct and perfectly reasonably thing to say, and all one can possibly say to stop people rushing to conclusions.

I don't think that is "crap", nor is is sloppy journalism.

Neither the Hampshire Police spokesman nor the Beeb are likely to be expert enough to say "we can rule out volcanic ash as a factor", and frankly neither am I. Perhaps you guys are?

Although you'd have to be deaf, blind and silly at the moment not to be aware of the volcanic activity affecting us all, there is no mention in the TAF's or the UK METAR's, which seems a slightly odd omission.

150commuter, I'm sure you wouldn't fly at levels where you thought you might encounter ash. How would you know which levels you might encounter ash? That's not a loaded question, as there may be a source of info I've not found. But the met office are showing a danger of ash from SFC to FL200 at present, and other sources I've found say that dangerous levels of ash may not be visible even in VMC.

wsmempson: agreed, the only reference I can see is in the Form215 info where it says "VA - check advisories, VA SIGMETS, ASTAM and NOTAM".

Which reinforces my comment to 150commuter. We are told there is ash between SFC and FL200 over the UK. But at what levels?

Please tell me why if volcanic ash is such a factor for piston engines why the motorways are not clogged with cars that have broken down?

The CAA issued NOTAM for VFR traffic is just the legal team covering their six!

Agreed, I misread your original post. They give strong advice, but not strong advice not to fly!

I get the impression from people posting here, probably with more expert knowledge than I have, that the ash currently found below 5000 feet in the UK is not dangerous to piston-engined light aircraft. Can anyone point to an authoritative source of such advice, before I take to the air?

Sky's reporting is refreshingly unspeculative and includes the following:-