Date:	Sunday 26 July 1998
Time:	16:38
Type:	Jodel D.112
Owner/operator:	Derek Leach
Registration:	G-BCOG
MSN:	1017
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Heathcroft Farm, Childer Hill, Bentworth, near Alton, Hampshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Lydd, Ashford, Kent (LYX/EGMD)
Destination airport:	Bourne Park, Hampshire
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
Built November 1960: Ex-F-BJPC. First registered as G-BCOG 13-2-1975. Written off (destroyed) 26-7-1998 when crashed into an Equestrian Centre at Heathcroft Farm, Childer Hill, Bentworth, near Alton, Hampshire, killing both persons on board. The crash was caused by engine failure, due to the aircraft running out of fuel. According to the following extract from the official AAIB report into the accident:

"Just before 16:38 hours, a Mayday call was transmitted from G-BCOG on the Distress frequency 121.5 MHz. The Distress and Diversion Controller at the London Air Traffic Control Centre at West Drayton heard this. The call indicated that the aircraft had an engine failure, that it was about two miles south of Lasham and trying to put down in a field. The controller responded that he was scrambling the Search and Rescue helicopter, which was acknowledged by the pilot. No further transmissions were heard from the aircraft.

Eyewitnesses at Heathcroft Farm, Bentworth, saw the aircraft, with the propeller windmilling only slowly, gliding in a north westerly direction over the farm towards an adjacent crop field. The aircraft was seen to begin a turn to the right, steadily turning through about 45 degrees initially, but then the bank angle increased rapidly and the nose dropped towards the ground. The aircraft made about one complete rotation to the right and impacted the ground in a steep nose down attitude.

There was no fire. Both occupants were wearing lap and shoulder harnesses but sustained immediately fatal impact injuries. Eyewitnesses did not notice a strong smell of fuel on arrival at the accident site.

The Mayday call occurred one hour after take off from Lydd. At that time, based upon the fuel calculations detailed earlier, it is estimated that the aircraft would have had no more than 5 litres of fuel on board, assuming that it had been absolutely full to 60 litres capacity on leaving Brienn-leChateau earlier that afternoon".

As a result of the accident, the registration G-BCOG was cancelled by the CAA on 3-12-1998 as "destroyed", and the pilot/owners "Addressee Status: Deceased". The two people who lost their lives were Mr. Derek Leach (pilot and registered owner) and his partner Elizabeth Nisbet. As reported in a contemporary local newspaper ("Aberdeen Evening Express" - Monday 27 July 1998)

"OFFICIALS from the Department of Transport's Air Accident Investigation Branch were today searching for clues after a man and a woman were killed when their plane crashed in a field.

Police said the Jodel two-seater aircraft crashed just before 6pm close to an equestrian centre near Alton, Hants. A spokesman said the plane was thought to be heading towards nearby Lasham and had put out a mayday call shortly before crashing. The spokesman said the pilot and passenger had died instantly."

Another local newspaper reported the incident thus ("Herald Scotland" 27 July 1998):

"Police said the plane that crashed in Hampshire was thought to be heading towards nearby Lasham and had put out a mayday call shortly before crashing. The spokesman said the pilot and passenger had died instantly. The plane crashed 200 yards from the farm of Irish international show jumper Peter Charles.

Mr Charles, 39, said: ''We were just returning form a show and I happened to glance up. I noticed the plane gliding, there was no noise coming from it so the engine must have stopped. 'It looked as if the pilot was trying to straighten up to crash land in the field but it was obvious he wasn't going to make it. 'The plane started corkscrewing and hit the ground with a terrible thud, there was no explosion. The whole thing lasted about 10 seconds. 'I ran over to see if I could help the people in the plane while one of the lads from the stable called the emergency services.''

A police spokeswoman added: ''It is clear that the pilot was experiencing difficulties before the accident. 'He said he was going to land at a nearby airfield but unfortunately he was unable to reach it.''

The Department of Transport's Air Accident Investigation Branch has begun an inquiry."

1. Aberdeen Evening Express - Monday 27 July 1998
2. Reading Evening Post - Thursday 30 July 1998
3. AAIB: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f431ed915d13740004c1/dft_avsafety_pdf_500647.pdf
4. CAA: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-BCOG.pdf
3. http://picssr.com/tags/gbcog
4. Herald Scotland 27 July 1998 (Second Story): http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12256511.Five_killed_in_air_crashes_Helicopter_hits_power_lines/
5. http://www.flydw.org.uk/DWJ11D.htm
6. Jodel D.112 G-BCOG at Finmere (X2FN) on 8/4/1995: https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1557038
7. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/001366867.html
8. https://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=17507.0

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
25-Mar-2015 02:01	Dr. John Smith	Added
25-Mar-2015 02:06	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative]
25-Mar-2015 02:09	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport]
27-Jun-2016 12:27	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Source, Narrative]
27-Jun-2016 13:04	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
16-Nov-2020 21:32	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative, Accident report]
16-Nov-2020 21:38	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]