I've been around Cranfield all week. No talk of it anymore, however I've heard a lot of stories. PFT's Tomahawks seem to be missing though, and they are also open again (14th June) The only Tommie on the field at the moment is one parked outside Cranfield Flying School in amongst their Cessna 152's.

I read the accident report you put forward and was struck by
paragraph 2 where the pilot deploys flaps and undercarriage before
ensuring the glide approach to the runway.

Surely you should be certain of making the runway before
you add drag?

-- Andrew

A lot of rumour running about Cranfield about this at the moment, if half of this is true this story will run and run.

For those interested in the pilots condition - both are doing well and have asked to pass on their thanks for their best wishes.

I fly with Cranfield PFT and am sick and tired upto the back teeth of what is obviously the other local schools having a go.

I KNOW that they only used AVGAS and picked it up from Cranfield or Hinton. We were encouraged to go to Hinton for fuel cos it was a lot cheaper.

With regards to the accident, I amongst others heard him to radio declare that he was turning back. He was about 250-300 feet at the time.

The aircraft was doing circuits and the accident happened after a touch and go. I was in the club yesterday and know that both the pilots are doing well. One is expected out of hospital this week but needs some dental work. The other has his leg in plaster and will be in traction for several weeks. If you ask me both are lucky to be alive having done the "impossible turn".
NEVER TURN BACK.

I think it is very telling to tell that G-BOZR or ZULU ROMEO is a AA5a that is registered to Billings next door. They have had two very serious accidents this year already. There is then another poster that works for another flying school locally.

As for the rest- let the AAIB do their job. I will put my money on it being pilot error and nothing else.

I would guess that the new guy is the PFT owner.......

yeah tupperware I think you are right!

fyi zr is a cessna 150 with CFS.

nice to blame the instructor without 'letting the AAIB do their job'. pots and kettles...

Agreed.

Doesn't strike me that throwing acusations at the other nearby schools helps anybody much.

G

flyingbedfordshire has sent me a PM claiming he is a mate of the instructor. I'm checking this out with my contacts at Hinton and Cranfield. But I'm sure its the owner of PFT he got caught a month or so ago trying the same thing on the other forum. and has tried it here are well....... nice try chris!

"Doesn't strike me that throwing acusations at the other nearby schools helps anybody much."

Well said - especially when 30 seconds spent looking on G-INFO establishes that neither the Cessna nor any of the AA5's at Cranfield are registered to Billins. Just the usual poorly-executed distraction tactic from flyingbedfordshireand a host of other single-post 'forumites'.

The question which interests me is why the engine failed in the first place.

As another factual aside, Billins has a good reputation on the airfield and has been trading there for 20 years. PFT (Cranfield) has barely been there 6 months, having originally started at Hinton only 2 years ago.

this is the PM i got, i have just had it confirmed that the real Antonyn did not send it! Again nice try Chris!
flyingbedfordshire


Probationary PPRuNer

Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: beds
Age: 33
Posts: 1
Wrong person
My name is antonyn. Sam is a good mate of mine. He run cranfield. It was speaking to him that I got the info. He admits it was his cock up. I trained with sam at stapleford and we did our atpl writtens together.

You may hate chris as much as anyone but wait for the aaib and u will c im right.

Hmm they hardly "did" the impossible turn. They binned the aircraft and severely injured themselves. A clear point that we never turn back for a reason. An Instructor should gave known better....

There are two AA5a-s and a C150 owned by syndicates which lease their aeroplanes back to Billins and fly within that club. They have had some minor prangs lately - from my (possibly faulty) local knowledge a prop strike and a tailstrike, and the 150 is offline being repaired at the moment, I think from the propstrike.

Billins has certainly been there a long time and seems to hang onto both a reasonable reputation, and financial solvency. Both rare and valuable commodities in light aviation!

G

G

Its the "other" AA5 in the "shop" recovering from a student PIO tip strike

That's the only incident this year as far as I know

The C150 that was on Billins line has been moved elsewhere .

S

Yes, nothing beats a demonstration. "See Bloggs, I told you it was impossible." :eek:

I stand corrected.

G

Just a quick update
 

Hi All, My name Antony and I am friends with the Pilot Sam Lyon.

If you receive any messages from anyone like "Flying Bedfordshire" or others claiming they are someone called Antony then be aware they are highly likely to be Chris Alexander the owner of the club.

I speak to Sam regularly and he wanted me to make you all aware of the situation and his condition.

He is still in hospital but making a good recovery and is expected to make a full recovery.

He also wanted me to explain why he turned back. He was still over the runway when he commenced his turn and he still also had partial power, otherwise he wouldn't have considered it. The power only totally died during the turn.

I am aware people are getting messages allegedly from me claiming that I think it was his fault. I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT BELIEVE THAT AT ALL AND I MAY WELL HAVE DONE THE SAME THING BASED ON THE SITUATION.

The AAIB will almost certainly put the crash down to an aging aircraft rather than anything else.

I want to thank the people who have made me aware that someone using my name is PM people claiming to be from me.

I guess the instructors didn't think about the colour of their fuel samples?

or read this ! :eek:

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/20120117SSL04.pdf

what colour would it be if it was 10% mogas? Probably very blue I would imagine.

A/c age may possibly have been a factor into the EFATO, but I'm afraid i cannot see how it could be blamed for the (reported) subsequent stall/spin, if that's what did happen.

Thankfully, no loss of life, hope the pilots recover quickly.