Date:	Sunday 31 May 1981
Time:	night
Type:	Cessna FRA.150L Aerobat (Reims)
Owner/operator:	Cheshire Air Training School Ltd
Registration:	G-BACD
MSN:	FRA150-0156
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Musden Head Moor, Haslingden, near Accrington, Lancashire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	Liverpool Airport, Speke, Liverpool (LPL/EGGP)
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
On 29 January 1976 a Cessna 150 Aerobat, G-BACD, was purchased, bringing the CATS Cheshire Air Training School Ltd) fleet up to five aircraft. The addition of this variant allowed basic aerobatic tuition to be provided, encouraging members to take their flying experience one step further with the company.

On 31 May 1981, while being flown on a night cross-country flight, Cessna 150 Aerobat G-BACD crashed on the high moors at Musden Head Moor, Haslingden, near Accrington, Lancashire, killing the pilot. Although the Accident Investigation Bureau exonerated CATS of any blame, the press coverage was widespread, and not all of it very accurate - as is unfortunately frequent with any aircraft accident.

One source (see link #4) attributed the cause of the accident to a mixture of adverse weather conditions and pilot disorientation. Registration G-BACD cancelled as "destroyed" 5 December 1983.

1. CAA: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-BACD.pdf
2. http://derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=history&action=display&thread=3731
3. http://www.fola.org.uk/0927/120.pdf
4. Pike, W. (1992). Pilot Disorientation as the Most Frequent Cause of Fatal, Weather-Related Accidents in UK Civil and General Aviation. Journal of Navigation, 45(2), 229-240. doi:10.1017/S0373463300010729

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-May-2008 11:10	ASN archive	Added
26-Sep-2011 08:21	Uli Elch	Updated [Aircraft type, Cn, Location, Country, Phase, Nature, Source, Damage, Narrative]
07-Sep-2012 21:20	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
28-Nov-2020 22:42	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]