ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 178790
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| Date: | Sunday 16 September 1990 |
| Time: | 13:15 |
| Type: | Evans VP-1 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | G-PFAZ |
| MSN: | PFA 062-1069 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | High Flatts Farm, Pelton, Chester-le-Street, County Durham -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | High Flatts Farm, Pelton, Chester-le-Street, County Durham |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Written off (destroyed) 16/9/1990 when crashed shortly after take off from a private strip at High Flatts Farm, Pelton, Chester-le-Street, County Durham. According to the following summary from the official AAIB report into the accident:
"The accident occurred shortly after take off from a private strip at High Flatts Farm, Pelton, Chester-le-Street, County Durham. The airstrip was reported to be orientated 30/12 and of 600 yards in length. In the 30 direction there is a downslope for 200 yards, followed thereafter by an upslope for the next 400 yards. This is followed by continually rising ground, prior to a built up area. Immediately to the west is a main road, with parallel overhead electric cables, and a built up area further to the west. There is a further built up area to the north, and farm buildings to the east.
The pilots reports that the tanks were filled to capacity with fuel and oil, and therefore the aircraft was close to the maximum permitted take off weight of 341 Kg. After engine start, a full run up was carried out, and the engine appeared to be operating normally. The aircraft was taxied to the 30 threshold, and a normally full power take off was commenced.
The aircraft became airborne after a ground run of approximately 250 yards and a speed of 50 mph, which the pilot states as being 5 mph slower than normal. The aircraft rose initially to about 20 feet above ground level when the pilot felt that he needed to lower the nose in order to gain airspeed. However, the aircraft failed to gain airspeed, and, by this time, there was insufficient distance in which to land back onto the airstrip.
Being aware of the close proximity of buildings both to his left and right, the pilot realised that he could not turn the aircraft, but thought that he could clear the buildings ahead of him. In the event, the aircraft was unable to clear the buildings in its path, and the main landing gear struck the top ridge tiles of the roof of a school building (which was, fortunately, unoccupied at the time).
The force of the impact detached the main landing gear, pitched the aircraft nose down, and it crashed onto a road beyond the school building. There was no fire, and the pilot, which had sustained only minor injuries, was released by local people, who had witnessed the accident. The pilot had been wearing a full restraint harness, which held throughout the accident. The school building sustained minor damage to the roof tiles.
The pilot considered that the contributary cause of the accident was the marginal performance of the engine, which was not powerful enough the raise the aircraft to a safe height in time."
Registration G-BFAZ cancelled by the CAA 16/11/1990 as aircraft "destroyed"
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. https://assets.digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk/media/542300f240f0b61346000b53/Evans_VP-1__G-PFAZ_11-90.pdf
2. http://www.caa.co.uk/aircraft-registration/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 18-Aug-2015 17:43 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 18-Aug-2015 17:47 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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