ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 89959
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| Date: | Saturday 24 February 2001 |
| Time: | 14:25 UTC |
| Type: |  Rockwell Commander 114 |
| Owner/operator: | Tricolore Aeroclub Ltd |
| Registration: | G-LIMA |
| MSN: | 14415 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1978 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-540-T4B5D |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Newcoombe Farm, Station Road, Sharpthorne, East Grinstead, Sussex -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Biggin Hill Airport, Kent (BQH/EGKB) |
| Shoreham Airport, West Sussex (EGKA) | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Aircraft entered steep descent during sharp right turn. Right wing detached and aircraft struck ground at high speed. All four on board were killed. According to a contemporary (19.04.2002) report into the inquest on the four persons on board killed:
"A YOUNG Billingshurst man and three friends died after their light aircraft crashed into a field in a "tragic accident", an inquest heard.Jonathan Ellis, 25, was a passenger on a pleasure flight which crashed last February, two weeks before his birthday, after one of the wings came off.At the inquest at Haywards Heath Magistrates Court a jury returned a verdict of "accidental death" on each of the four men.
Dr Nigel Capps, 40, of France, Dr Richard Green, 54, of Watford and Iskander Zomaya, 55, also known as Alec or Alex, of Worcester Park, were also on board the Rockwell aircraft. Mr Ellis was a website manager for an IT firm and lived with his wife, Nadine, at Roman Way in Billingshurst. On the morning of Saturday, February 24, 2001, Mr Ellis drove to Mr Zomaya's home before heading to Biggin Hill to go flying.
Mr Ellis' father, Christopher Ellis of Farnham, said his son had an interest in flying and was thinking of taking a course. Coroner's officer Barry Markham said the four men, who were provisionally identified by clothes and belongings, were confirmed dead at the scene of the crash in a field off Station Road in Sharpthorne. Mr Zomaya and Dr Capps were found in the front two seats, as pilot and co-pilot, and the two passengers were found some distance from the plane.
Air Commodore S.A. Cullen, an aviation pathologist, said the cause of death was multiple injuries, and added in each case death would have been "instantaneous". Coroner Roger Stone said there was nothing unusual about the flight from Biggin Hill to Shoreham, where they were believed to have taken a break and refreshments, and part of the return journey.
But the aircraft took a sharp turn just before crashing which Mr Stone said could have been to avoid the Gatwick exclusion zone, a heavy snow cloud, or a combination of both.And he added that it was not possible to tell who had been in control of the aircraft at the time of the crash because it had dual controls.
Alan Simmons, of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Branch, confirmed that the right wing had come off before impact, which he believed was a result of excessive force from the attempt to recover the aircraft."
Registration G-LIMA cancelled by UK Civil Aviation Authority 7/11/2001 as "aircraft destroyed"
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB; https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f7dfed915d1374000683/dft_avsafety_pdf_500069.pdf
2. CAA: https://siteapps.caa.co.uk/g-info/rk=LIMA
3. https://www.pprune.org/private-flying/49185-rockwell-g-lima.html
4. https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1990/1990
5. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1189287.stm
6. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1324014/Four-killed-in-light-aircraft-crash.html
7. https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/feb/25/theobserver.uknews1
8. http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/5153024.Mystery_of_plane_s_death_plunge/?ref=arc
9. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk/1188060.stm_/default.stm
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 09-Feb-2011 14:21 | harro | Added |
| 14-Jan-2012 14:38 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 23-Nov-2014 17:35 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 24-Dec-2014 17:19 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 24-Dec-2014 17:20 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location] |
| 13-Jul-2016 14:25 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Aircraft type, Destination airport, Source] |
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