ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 18932
Last updated: 3 October 2020
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| Date: | 05-JAN-1972 |
| Time: | 18:24 UTC |
| Type: |  Piper PA-23-250F Aztec |
| Owner/operator: | Enterprise Hotels Ltd |
| Registration: | G-AZIF |
| C/n / msn: | 27-4633 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Near Great Sampford, 5 miles SE of Saffron Walden, Essex -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Executive |
| Departure airport: | London-Gatwick (LGW/EGKK) |
| Stansted Airport, Essex (STN/EGSS) | |
| Investigating agency: | AIB |
Piper PA-23-250F Aztec G-AZIF: Ex-N14019 (US Registry). US Registration cancelled 27 October 1971. First UK registered as G-AZIF 9 November 1971. Written off (destroyed) 5 January 1972 when crashed Near Great Sampford, 5 miles South East of Saffron Walden, Essex, at approximate coordinates 58'58" North, 00'22" East. All three persons on board were killed. According to the AAIB Final report into the incident:
"The aircraft was on a night flight in poor weather from Gatwick to Stansted Airport. At 18:21 hrs when over the Stansted NDB it was cleared to descend to an altitude of 2,500 feet and to change to the tower radio frequency in preparation for an approach to land. The pilot's acknowledgement of this message was the last communication with the aircraft.
Search and rescue procedures were initiated at 19:00 hrs. The aircraft was found the following day at 1100 hrs. It had crashed eight miles northeast of Stansted Airport on ground 300 feet above mean sea level (amsl) at a point below the traffic pattern where it should have been making a level turn at 2,500 feet amsl to intercept the Instrument Landing System (ILS). All three occupants were killed on impact.
It is concluded that the accident was probably the result of a loss of control and that this was likely to have resulted from a flight instrument failure, leading to a steep dive during which the aircraft struck the ground."
The AAIB Final Report lists the three fatalities as Captain J. M. McCracken (pilot), Captain R. F. Jolly and Mr. N. A. DeBruyne (passengers).
Registration G-AZIF was formally cancelled by the CAA on 5 January 1972 as "destroyed"
Sources:
1. AAIB Final report: https://assets.digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk/media/5422f729ed915d1371000641/18-1974_G-AZIF.pdf
2. AAIB Final Report Appendix: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f72a40f0b613460006a3/18-1974_G-AZIF_Append.pdf
3. CAA Registration: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AZIF.pdf
4. G-AZIF with previous registration N14019 at Cranfield (EGTC) 3-9-1971: https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1655444
5. FAA US Registration: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=14019
Accident investigation:
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Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-May-2008 11:10 | ASN archive | Added |
| 01-Sep-2012 19:32 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 03-Aug-2015 00:28 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 03-Oct-2020 23:43 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Source, Narrative, Accident report] |
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