ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 192864
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| Date: | Sunday 15 January 2017 |
| Time: | 14:35 UTC |
| Type: |  Piper PA-30-160 Twin Comanche |
| Owner/operator: | Montagu-Smith & Company Ltd |
| Registration: | G-ATMT |
| MSN: | 30-439 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1964 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-320-B1A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Aston Rowant Nature Reserve, Chiltern Hills, Oxfordshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Turweston Airport (EGBT) |
| Chalgrove Airport (EGLJ) | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The light aircraft is believed to have left Turweston Aerodrome, in north Buckinghamshire and then impacted the ground in Aston Rowant Nature Reserve, just over 30 miles south in the Chiltern Hills of Oxfordshire. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the sole pilot on board received fatal injuries. He was called Dave Norris. A Statement from Thames Valley Police said:
"Thames Valley Police officers were called at 2.35pm yesterday following reports that a light aircraft had crashed at Aston Rowant Nature Reserve. Officers arrived at the scene along with the ambulance and fire service. Sadly, the pilot of the aircraft, a man, has been pronounced dead at the scene His next of kin have been informed."
There were adverse weather conditions at the time in the Chilterns - low cloud, rain and fog. Discussions on the "Flyer Forum" (see link #5) speak of a CFIT (Controlled Flight Into Terrain) due to the fog, quote "weather was really poor with cloud from ~400 feet AGL (actually 3 miles up the road from Turweston) all the way up to FL120 (forecast) and the 0 deg icing layer at 4,000-5,000 feet (forecast) with around 85-95% humidity. Above 4,000 feet, it was forecast for moderate icing and turbulence, with severe icing at 7,000 feet and above. Now unless you are flying something with serious anti-icing capabilities (engine, wings and tailplane) then it was not the day for flying..."
AAIB: see complète final report (link #9)
Conclusions:
The aircraft was on a private flight from Turweston Airfield to Chalgrove Airfield and climbed to approximately 2,000 ft amsl after departure. Shortly after reaching 2,000 ft amsl, the aircraft descended to approximately 1,000 ft amsl and, at a point where a right turn would have been appropriate for a visual approach to its destination, turned left towards high ground which was in cloud. It was not determined when the aircraft transitioned from VMC to IMC but it was in IMC below MSA for at least 1 minute 45 seconds before flying into trees on the top of rising ground. It was not established why the pilot turned away from his destination or remained below MSA while flying in IMC.
Research suggested that, when there is a gradual deterioration of weather conditions from VMC to IMC, it can be difficult to identify when the boundary between the two has been crossed, and this might explain why VFR pilots sometimes enter IMC inadvertently. Information from the CAA showed that, after entering IMC inadvertently, some pilots do not climb to MSA. Although this seems inexplicable, given the risk of collision, research into human performance provides some insight:
a) When under stress, people tend to place a greater emphasis on positive outcomes when making decisions.
b) When conditions deteriorate gradually, cues suggesting that a course of action be abandoned often fail to change that course.
This indicates that, if intending to remain in VMC, it is better to anticipate the need to avoid the boundary between VMC and IMC than to y towards it and, perhaps inadvertently, across it. CAA Safety Sense Leaflet 1e, "Good Airmanship", Leaflet 5e, "VFR Navigation", and Leaflet 23, "Pilots – It’s Your Decision", provide guidance for pilots operating VFR in the lower levels of Class G airspace and in poor weather.
The AAIB report confirms that G-ATMT sustained "extensive" damage; as a result, the registration G-ATMT was formally cancelled by the CAA on 8 September 2017 as "Destroyed"
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-38629174
2. https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/437738/pilot-killed-after-plane-crashes-at-british-airfield/
3. https://www.bucksherald.co.uk/news/transport/pilot-dies-after-plane-crash-at-aston-rowant-1-7775530
4. http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/update/2017-01-16/light-aircraft-crash-reports-man-has-died/
5. https://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=102863&sid=600abc311b125b292fb1d7cc84f0c785
6. https://www.facebook.com/TurwestonTower
7. CAA: https://siteapps.caa.co.uk/g-info/
8. G-ATMT at Turweston on 24/04/2016: http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/001189393.html
9. AAIB final report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/59c283e540f0b65db9b9ead1/Piper_PA-30_Twin_Comanche_G-ATMT_10-17.pdf
.
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 14 August 2011 | G-ATMT | Montagu-Smith and Company Ltd | 0 | Maypole Airfield (EGHB), Hoath, Canterbury, Kent, | |
sub |
Images:
Netherthope Airfield, Nottinghamshire, UK - 17th September 2008
Media:
.jpg)
15/1 1440 despatched to reports of a light aircraft crash #astonRowant, low cloud prevented attendance #p4963
— NPAS Benson (@NPAS_Benson) January 15, 2017
Piper fatal accident, 15 Jan 17 https://t.co/WYpcBIi0hc pic.twitter.com/R86a2wwnEP
— AAIB (@aaibgovuk) 12 octobre 2017
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Jan-2017 16:34 | Geno | Added |
| 15-Jan-2017 17:57 | Aerossurance | Updated [Operator, Location, Nature, Narrative] |
| 15-Jan-2017 18:00 | Aerossurance | Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Narrative] |
| 16-Jan-2017 16:58 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 16-Jan-2017 16:59 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Embed code, Narrative] |
| 16-Jan-2017 17:01 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 16-Jan-2017 19:23 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 16-Jan-2017 19:23 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 16-Jan-2017 19:24 | aviatoruk | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 17-Jan-2017 16:50 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 17-Jan-2017 17:02 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Phase, Source, Embed code, Damage, Narrative] |
| 12-Oct-2017 19:49 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 12-Oct-2017 19:52 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code, Narrative] |
| 12-Oct-2017 19:53 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Damage] |
| 13-Oct-2017 00:35 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Embed code] |
| 13-Oct-2017 00:35 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source] |
| 13-Oct-2017 00:36 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Embed code] |
| 13-Oct-2017 00:50 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 29-Jun-2020 12:48 | Peter Clarke | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Photo] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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