ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 194094
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| Date: | Thursday 9 March 2017 |
| Time: | 29:30 |
| Type: |  Mainair Blade |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | G-CCXR |
| MSN: | 1367-0604-7-W1162 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2004 |
| Engine model: | Rotax 582-2V |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Cleddau river near Rudders Boat Yard, Burton, Milford Haven -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Withybush Airfield, Fishguard Road, Haverfordwest (EGFE) |
| Withybush Airfield, Fishguard Road, Haverfordwest (EGFE) | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The ultralight plane crashed into the river under unknown circumstances. The pilot survived the crash. According to a press report (The Western Telegraph 10.3.2017 see link #4):
"Pilot’s miraculous escape as plane crashes into Cleddau river near Rudders Boat Yard, Burton, Milford Haven
A MICROLIGHT pilot escaped without serious injury after his plane crashed into the Cleddau River last night. The lightweight plane crashed into the Haven at around 5.30pm, narrowly avoiding overhead power lines. Emergency services launched a rapid response after receiving a call from Jamie Boha, who saw the incident unfold.
“He saw the microlight hit the water and flip over at least once as it went in,” said Alastair Pollard, of Rudders Boatyard in Burton. “Miraculously the pilot still looked to be afloat, although by now there was no sign of the microlight". As Angle lifeboat and range safety vessel Smit Merrion - based in Neyland – were dispatched by the coastguard, Mr Pollard also went out on his inflatable rib to see if he could help.
Two men who had been fishing from their boat also made their way to the area. “I reached the pilot just as he was pulling himself out the water on the other side of the Milford Haven waterway opposite our boatyard and moorings,” said Mr Pollard. “Although clearly shaken from the impact, the pilot had the wherewithal to pull one of his gloves off after he went down in order to release his buckle and swim free. The microlight had then started to sink so the pilot sensibly ditched his aircraft and helmet and made a swim for the shore, albeit in a heavy flying suit with lots of warm but heavy clothing underneath. Fortunately the pilot was clearly a competent swimmer and although he had probably been in the water and swimming for the shore in these cold tidal winter waters for about 15 minutes, he had made it.
“He was just clambering ashore as I reached him, slightly hypothermic and soaked to the skin, but still in good humour and pleased to be alive. It seems the setting sun had blinded him and he had desperately wanted to avoid the power lines.”
The pilot was taken back to the boatyard and given a hot shower, and Mr Pollard lent him some dry clothes. Coastguard medics, police, ambulance and relatives arrived by road, and the pilot was then taken to hospital for further checks."
In addition, the Angle RNLI website page (see link #6) reports:
"Thursday 9th March: The ALB launched at 17:54 to reports of a Microlight aircraft that had crashed into the water, off Rudders Boatyard, Burton. Also responding to this incident was a local Range Safety vessel, Dyfed Powys Police, Ambulance, Coastguard Rescue Officers and two leisure craft. Whilst arriving on scene, we were informed that the single occupant had swum to the shore adjacent to Burton and transferred to Rudders Boatyard by a local RIB. The Y Boat was launched and two crew went ashore to gather more information whilst the paramedics were assessing the casualty. As no assistance was needed ashore, the Y Boat searched the shoreline whilst the ALB searched the main channel for any debris. With no sightings, the Y Boat was recovered and the ALB returned to station at 19:20."
UPDATE: The official AAIB report into the accident was published on August 10, 2017, and the following is an extract from that report...
"Aircraft stalled while avoiding power lines at low level and fell into a river, Near Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, 9 March 2017.
The pilot took off from Haverfordwest Airfield approximately one hour before sunset for a local flight to the south, in good visibility and with a light westerly wind. Flying in a southerly direction and aiming to fly at 60 mph and at 500 feet amsl, he followed the River Cleddau until he was approximately 8 nautical miles from the airfield, before turning to follow the river in a westerly direction.
As he turned towards the low sun his forward visibility became limited, so he tried to shield his eyes by placing his left hand against his helmet visor. At the same time he believes he relaxed his pressure on the foot throttle, which he had been using in preference to the hand throttle, causing engine power to reduce and the aircraft to descend
unintentionally.
Suddenly the pilot saw that he was heading towards a set of power lines and supporting steel pylons, and he took evasive action by pushing the control bar forwards and left to initiate a climbing right turn. He believes he may also have reduced power further and that the combined effect of this low level manoeuvre was for the speed to reduce quickly and the wing to stall. His next recollection was that he was deluged with water when the aircraft hit the river.
As the aircraft settled on its right side, the pilot had to bend his head left to keep it above the water. He was wearing a lap strap which he was unable to undo with his gloved hand so he had to use his teeth to take one glove off before he could operate the harness release.
After approximately 10 minutes the aircraft began to sink and the pilot swam to the shore and was later treated for the effects of hypothermia."
Damage sustained to airframe: Per the AAIB report "Destroyed due immersion in salt water".
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/595e41b0e5274a0a6900013e/Mainair_Blade_G-CCXR_08-17.pdf
2. CAA: https://siteapps.caa.co.uk/g-info/
3. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-39232146
4. http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/15147586.UPDATED__Pilot___s_miraculous_escape_as_plane_crashes_into_Cleddau_river/
5. http://pembrokeshire-herald.com/32729/microlight-pilot-escapes-from-cleddau-river-crash/
6. https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2017/march/11/angle-rnli-lifeboat-alerted-after-microlight-crash
Media:
Pilot’s miraculous escape as plane crashes into Cleddau river https://t.co/vELkT0lAGf pic.twitter.com/eBMqng2CWf
— Western Telegraph (@WTelegraph) March 10, 2017
Launched from Angle, Pembrokeshire about half an hour ago - https://t.co/oiptzD0cio
— RNLI: Out On A Shout (@outonashout) March 9, 2017
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Mar-2017 12:30 | gerard57 | Added |
| 10-Mar-2017 18:51 | FERRYAIR | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Source] |
| 11-Mar-2017 22:59 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Registration, Cn, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 11-Mar-2017 23:01 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Embed code] |
| 11-Mar-2017 23:13 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 11-Mar-2017 23:18 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Embed code, Narrative] |
| 10-Aug-2017 19:26 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 10-Aug-2017 19:27 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 10-Aug-2017 19:29 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 10-Aug-2017 19:29 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
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