R44 down Doncaster ??
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30th October 2025, 16:52

Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 172
Likes: 12
From: lake district
At the risk of thread drift, and this is pure armchair/keyboard educated guessing
If you take the altitudes from those three sites and adjust for 30 feet per milibar difference from 1013, that gives you a pretty accurate picture of what Altitude above AMSL an aircraft was flying.
eg if the sites say the "barometric alt" was 1,200 and local QNH on the day was 1006 mb...
1013 minus 1006 = 7 mb
7 x 30 feet = 210 feet
1,200 minus 210 = equals Aircraft was 990 feet AMSL
Elevation of Northern Doncaster is about 70 ft AMSL
900 minus 70 = 930 AGL
The average two storey builiding is 20 feet high
930 minus 20 = 910 feet
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SERA 5005:(f) Except when necessary for take-off or landing, or except by permission from the competent authority, a VFR flight shall not be flown:
(1) over the congested areas of cities, towns or settlements or over an open-air assembly of persons at a height less than 300 m (1000 ft) above the highest obstacle within a radius of 600 m from the aircraft;
If you take the altitudes from those three sites and adjust for 30 feet per milibar difference from 1013, that gives you a pretty accurate picture of what Altitude above AMSL an aircraft was flying.
eg if the sites say the "barometric alt" was 1,200 and local QNH on the day was 1006 mb...
1013 minus 1006 = 7 mb
7 x 30 feet = 210 feet
1,200 minus 210 = equals Aircraft was 990 feet AMSL
Elevation of Northern Doncaster is about 70 ft AMSL
900 minus 70 = 930 AGL
The average two storey builiding is 20 feet high
930 minus 20 = 910 feet
-------
SERA 5005:(f) Except when necessary for take-off or landing, or except by permission from the competent authority, a VFR flight shall not be flown:
(1) over the congested areas of cities, towns or settlements or over an open-air assembly of persons at a height less than 300 m (1000 ft) above the highest obstacle within a radius of 600 m from the aircraft;
Purveyor of Egg Liqueur to Lucifer


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From: Alles über die platz
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From: Europe

Joined: Jan 2007
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From: Yorkshire
About 2km from where i am right now, was in the car and shopping in the immediate area from 0830 until about 10am, heard nothing pass overhead.
My adsb trackers (FR24 & FlightAware) almost certainly saw it. FR24 playback shows it was at 1200 ish ft from Gamston with some course changes over the lakeside area then down to 500ft just as it cleared the town centre.
Air ambulance attended and left but not to any hospital after about 45 mins
Flat open ground around there so fingers crossed for the occupants
My adsb trackers (FR24 & FlightAware) almost certainly saw it. FR24 playback shows it was at 1200 ish ft from Gamston with some course changes over the lakeside area then down to 500ft just as it cleared the town centre.
Air ambulance attended and left but not to any hospital after about 45 mins
Flat open ground around there so fingers crossed for the occupants
Joined: Oct 2024
Posts: 10
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From: Kent
Sadly the BBC are reporting a 70 year old man has died whilst the pilot (41 year old male) and two passengers (58 year old femal and a 10 year old boy) have recieved minor injuries only. A very sad incident and my thoughts go to the families of all involved.
I have less than 8 posts so someone else will have to post the BCC link to the story.
I have less than 8 posts so someone else will have to post the BCC link to the story.

Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 541
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From: 30 Miles from the A1
Just announced that a 70 year old man died in the incident. The pilot and 2 other pax survived. RIP.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx203g3j416o
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx203g3j416o

Joined: Jan 2012
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From: Lancashire & Florida
Guest

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From: UK
It seemed to fly over Docaster around 500-1,000 feet AGL a few mins before it went down, so possibly broke the 1,000 foot SERA rule about flying over built up areas.
Last edited by PPRuNeUser469990; 30th October 2025 at 16:15.
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From: Northumberland

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From: Escrick York england
Guest

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From: UK
At the risk of thread drift, and this is pure armchair/keyboard educated guessing
If you take the altitudes from those three sites and adjust for 30 feet per milibar difference from 1013, that gives you a pretty accurate picture of what Altitude above AMSL an aircraft was flying.
eg if the sites say the "barometric alt" was 1,200 and local QNH on the day was 1006 mb...
1013 minus 1006 = 7 mb
7 x 30 feet = 210 feet
1,200 minus 210 = equals Aircraft was 990 feet AMSL
Elevation of Northern Doncaster is about 70 ft AMSL
900 minus 70 = 930 AGL
The average two storey builiding is 20 feet high
930 minus 20 = 910 feet
-------
SERA 5005:(f) Except when necessary for take-off or landing, or except by permission from the competent authority, a VFR flight shall not be flown:
(1) over the congested areas of cities, towns or settlements or over an open-air assembly of persons at a height less than 300 m (1000 ft) above the highest obstacle within a radius of 600 m from the aircraft;
If you take the altitudes from those three sites and adjust for 30 feet per milibar difference from 1013, that gives you a pretty accurate picture of what Altitude above AMSL an aircraft was flying.
eg if the sites say the "barometric alt" was 1,200 and local QNH on the day was 1006 mb...
1013 minus 1006 = 7 mb
7 x 30 feet = 210 feet
1,200 minus 210 = equals Aircraft was 990 feet AMSL
Elevation of Northern Doncaster is about 70 ft AMSL
900 minus 70 = 930 AGL
The average two storey builiding is 20 feet high
930 minus 20 = 910 feet
-------
SERA 5005:(f) Except when necessary for take-off or landing, or except by permission from the competent authority, a VFR flight shall not be flown:
(1) over the congested areas of cities, towns or settlements or over an open-air assembly of persons at a height less than 300 m (1000 ft) above the highest obstacle within a radius of 600 m from the aircraft;

Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 172
Likes: 12
From: lake district
At the risk of thread drift, and this is pure armchair/keyboard educated guessing
If you take the altitudes from those three sites and adjust for 30 feet per milibar difference from 1013, that gives you a pretty accurate picture of what Altitude above AMSL an aircraft was flying.
eg if the sites say the "barometric alt" was 1,200 and local QNH on the day was 1006 mb...
1013 minus 1006 = 7 mb
7 x 30 feet = 210 feet
1,200 minus 210 = equals Aircraft was 990 feet AMSL
Elevation of Northern Doncaster is about 70 ft AMSL
900 minus 70 = 930 AGL
The average two storey builiding is 20 feet high
930 minus 20 = 910 feet
-------
SERA 5005:(f) Except when necessary for take-off or landing, or except by permission from the competent authority, a VFR flight shall not be flown:
(1) over the congested areas of cities, towns or settlements or over an open-air assembly of persons at a height less than 300 m (1000 ft) above the highest obstacle within a radius of 600 m from the aircraft;
If you take the altitudes from those three sites and adjust for 30 feet per milibar difference from 1013, that gives you a pretty accurate picture of what Altitude above AMSL an aircraft was flying.
eg if the sites say the "barometric alt" was 1,200 and local QNH on the day was 1006 mb...
1013 minus 1006 = 7 mb
7 x 30 feet = 210 feet
1,200 minus 210 = equals Aircraft was 990 feet AMSL
Elevation of Northern Doncaster is about 70 ft AMSL
900 minus 70 = 930 AGL
The average two storey builiding is 20 feet high
930 minus 20 = 910 feet
-------
SERA 5005:(f) Except when necessary for take-off or landing, or except by permission from the competent authority, a VFR flight shall not be flown:
(1) over the congested areas of cities, towns or settlements or over an open-air assembly of persons at a height less than 300 m (1000 ft) above the highest obstacle within a radius of 600 m from the aircraft;

Joined: Jul 2001
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL(H)
Posts: 508
Likes: 31
From: UK
At first glance, if this was indeed an engine failure, as reported in HeliHenry’s post, it looks like the pilot did a good job. From the overhead video footage of the crash site, there are plenty of powerlines to contend with. There’s no evidence that I can see of significant forward motion at touchdown and the skids look substantially intact meaning a controlled rate of descent. I wonder if there was some yaw at touch down, or entanglement in the adjacent wire fence causing the roll-over?
JJ
JJ

Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 26
Likes: 1
From: New Zealand
And if indeed it is an engine failure I hope they pay particular attention to the FPRV after the NZ engine failure incident. As it’s a second life (or more) machine, if the FPRV hasn’t been renewed you are potentially a test pilot.

Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 172
Likes: 12
From: lake district
I agree jelly it looks like the pilot has done well, my question is the skids are intact it looks highly surviveable so the fatality confuses me. I dare speculate if it was a medical episode prior to the crash?



