Light Aircraft Down - Buckingham
 

Always very bad news to hear of a light aircraft crash. RIP pilot.

Is it just me, or have their been more than usual lately? If so, is there a common reason?

Very saddening. It was a friend of mine.

Sharpend
 

I would speculate that the reason for more accidents is likely to stem from a the extra regulatory burden and the extra expense that follows that have reduced the hours that people are flying.

One should remember that the UK CAA supervised a system that resulted in a world class safety system that resulted in one of the worlds lowest accident rates.

We now have a system were EU states that had appalling accident rates have influence over regulation, couple that with the European love of over regulation and you have a safety system that has a prime objective of keeping the administrators of that system employed....... Not of keeping GA safe.

WTF X Factor girl's fraudster father killed in Buckinghamshire plane crash - UK - News - London Evening Standard

How on earth did he manage to send a text whilst spinning towards the ground?

Texting while spinning? How was he going to recover from a spin while on his mobile? Seems a bit odd.

Well, it's one up on those pilots who have been killed because they got on the radio with a 'Mayday' instead of flying the aeroplane. It may be an old mantra but it's no less true for that; aviate, navigate, communicate, in that order.

I've never before heard of someone doing this. It seems almost impossible that a qualified pilot would get hold of his phone rather than keep hold of the controls and keep trying to save the situation.

Well he does seem to have been a shady character. I mean, associating with the Blairs?

Well, there are at least two possibilities.

1) Completely untrue - he never texted anything at all. Let's face it, this is a newspaper report we're talking about...

2) He did text - in which case he may have done it before deliberately having an 'accident'...

I find it difficult to accept that anyone would be able to send a text in those circumstances, nor even want to. It'd surely be the last thing on anyones mind...

I too find it completely unbelievable.

... is (probably) the correct answer?

The question is why would he want to put himself in that position - unless there are other revelations yet to be revealed?!?!

Sad in any event.

Is it possible that he was mortally injured in the accident but managed to text a message to his family before passing out and dying?

That occurred to me. But IF that's what he did (as someone else pointed out, it is only a newspaper report and we know how 'accurate' those often are), I can't see it washing with any insurance company.

I actually used to know this chap, many years ago, when he turned up on the Manchester scene. He made enquiries about learning to fly on a twin, buying a Citation and building an airstrip. This from a lad who looked about 15 years old. A little while later he did start an airstrip next to the M6 near Holmes Chapel - you can still see the remains of the small Tarmac touchdown zones he put in.

Later I followed the "Arrows" fraud trial with amazement as some of it was centred around Altrincham where I lived.

Have to say I'm very sorry he lost his life this way - I'm guessing there will be some interesting revelations to come...

Not only did I know him but flew with him just before the fraud case came to light all those years ago.

I too knew him many years ago - I installed a computer system and accounting software for him - though I hasten to add I gave no advice on dodgy use of said software!

Can you see the airstrip remains on Google Earth? I've had a quick browse around the M6 near Holmes Chapel but can't find anything obvious.

If you look up Brereton Lane on west side of m6 you can see an east/west runway shape with hard surfaces at either touch down zone.