Date:	Wednesday 29 January 2025
Time:	day
Type:	Zenair Zenith STOL CH 701SP
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	G-IMME
MSN:	PFA 187-14080
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Finstown, Parish of Firth, Mainland, Orkney Islands -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Survey
Departure airport:	Kirkwall Airport (KOI/EGPA)
Destination airport:

Narrative:
29 January 2025: Zenair CH 701SP, G-IMME substantially damaged when force landed due to engine problems at Finstown, Orkney Islands on 29 January 2025. The incident was the subject of an AAIB Correspondence-only investigation published on 12 June 2025, and the following is the summary from the AAIB Report:

"During manoeuvres to take photographs, the engine stopped and the pilot conducted a forced landing in a field. The pilot reported that the right fuel tank was selected at the time and that effects of the manoeuvring to take photographs could have starved the engine of fuel. He stated that had the fuel supply been selected to BOTH tanks, the fuel supply flow could have been maintained".

Damage Sustained to airframe
Per the AAIB report: not stated. However, G-IMME has not flown since this incident, and the Permit to Fly expired on 30 May 2025 and has not been renewed

Finstown is a village in the parish of Firth, on Mainland, Orkney, Scotland. It is the fourth-largest settlement in the Orkney Islands.

The same aircraft had previously been in involved in a "serious incident" when overhead Pentland Firth, Scotland on 8 September 2013 (see AAIB Report - link #5 - and separate ASN entry)

1. AAIB Record-only investigations reviewed: March - April 2025 (Published 12 June 2025): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/aaib-record-only-investigations-reviewed-march-april-2025/aaib-record-only-investigations-reviewed-march-april-2025
2. https://airport-data.com/aircraft/G-IMME.html
3. https://www.airnavradar.com/data/airports/EGPA
4. https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/g-imme
5. Previous incident 8 September 2013: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f64a40f0b61346000637/Zenair_CH_701SP_G-IMME_01-14.pdf
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirkwall_Airport
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finstown

Built 2003. First registered as G-IMME on 29 August 2003. Sold on to 2nd owner 5 February 2013. Involved in an incident when overhead Pentland Firth, Scotland, 8 September 2013. Repaired and sold on to the 3rd (and current) owner 2 October 2013. Total amount of flying hours accumulated on the airframe: 303 at 2 May 2024. Permit to fly expired 30 May 2025 and has not been renewed

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
16-Jul-2025 09:05	Dr. John Smith	Added