ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 280996
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| Date: | Monday 1 August 2022 |
| Time: | 10:55 |
| Type: |  Zenair CH-601UL Zodiac |
| Owner/operator: | Trustee of the G-CDAL Group |
| Registration: | G-CDAL |
| MSN: | PFA 162A-14195 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2004 |
| Engine model: | Rotax 912-S |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Kinglassie, SW of Fife Airport, Glenrothes, Fife (EGPJ) -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Fife Airport (EGPJ) |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A Zenair CH-601UL Zodiac sustained substantial damage in a forced landing in a field near Kinglassie, close to the Fife Airport. According to various contemporary media reports:
"Emergency services raced to the Fife village of Kinglassie in the morning of August 1 after reports of a light aircraft crashing in the field nearby. Thankfully, no one has been injured in the incident. Police were called to the reports at around 10:55am as the alarm went up.
Images of the crashed plane have emerged online, showing it stuck in a wheat field next to the village. The pictures show that the right wing of the aircraft has been bent in the impact as well as the tail of the vehicle being twisted dramatically to the right.
The picture also shows the propeller of the plane clogged with wheat as it was landing and the canopy of the twin-seat aircraft open. Reportedly, the pilot was out and walking around after the crash as people came to help.
Locals also report that emergency services are restricting access to the Fife village and turning cars back towards Cluny. Police Scotland confirm that emergency services remain at the scene to clear the area.
It is not currently clear what happened to cause the plane to make an emergency landing**.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Officers were called to reports of a light aircraft crashing in a field near Kinglassie at around 10.55am on Monday, 1 August, 2022. There have been no reported injuries. Emergency services are at the scene to clear the area.”
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: "We can confirm we are in the area responding to an incident, after receiving a call at 10.57am."
**One newspaper ("The National" - see link #4) claims that the cause of the incident was due to the aircraft cockpit canopy opening in flight. Also "An eyewitness reported seeing it do a “somersault” before crashing". The pilot - the sole person on board - was reported to be "shaken up and bruised" but otherwise unhurt.
The reported crash location of Kinglassie (Scottish Gaelic: Cill Ghlaise) is a small village and parish in central Fife, Scotland. It is located two miles southwest of Glenrothes.
UPDATE: The AAIB Final Report into the incident was published on 8 December 2022, and the following is the summary from that report...
"AAIB investigation to Zenair CH 601UL, G-CDAL: Canopy opened in flight, Field northwest of Kinglassie, near Fife Airport, 1 August 2022.
The aircraft’s canopy came open unexpectedly shortly after takeoff, causing significant handing difficulties for the pilot who elected to carry out an immediate forced landing ahead. During the landing ground roll the aircraft suffered significant damage due to a rapid deceleration caused by crops catching on the wings and undercarriage.
The pilot concluded that the most likely cause of the canopy opening in flight was an object fouling the right canopy latch mechanism when the canopy was closed for flight, thus leaving it insecure.
=Nature of Damage to airframe=
Significant damage to fuselage, wings, propeller, canopy, and undercarriage"
Registration G-CDAL formally cancelled 1 September 2022 as aircraft "destroyed"
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB Final Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/63762225e90e07285378d228/Zenair_CH_601UL_G-CDAL_12-22.pdf
2. https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/fife/3550297/plane-crash-kinglassie-fife/
3. https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/scottish-pilot-miraculous-escape-plane-24640910
4. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-62382613.amp
5. https://www.thenational.scot/news/20592569.kinglassie-plane-crashes-fife-field-cockpit-opens-mid-air/
6. https://www.scotsman.com/news/fife-plane-crash-light-aircraft-comes-down-in-field-near-fife-town-3789392
7. https://news.stv.tv/east-central/plane-crash-in-kinglassie-village-field-after-cockpit-opens-in-mid-air
8. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/plane-makes-emergency-crash-landing-27627964
9. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/20592564.kinglassie-plane-crashes-scottish-field/
10. https://www.radarbox.com/data/registration/G-CDAL/1745267718
11. https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/g-cdal
12. https://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=121808
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinglassie
Media:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 01-Aug-2022 11:19 | harro | Added |
| 01-Aug-2022 11:21 | harro | Updated [Location, Narrative] |
| 03-Aug-2022 14:57 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category] |
| 03-Aug-2022 15:00 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [[Time, Operator, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category]] |
| 03-Aug-2022 15:03 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source] |
| 06-Aug-2022 23:02 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source] |
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