Mystery surrounds horror plane crash in Shropshire
Mystery still surrounds the cause of an engine failure that resulted in a light aircraft horror crash that seriously injured the pilot and passenger and wrecked the aircraft.
An official air-crash report fails to identify a reason for the accident, in which the occupants of the plane were dragged clear by a heroic witness.
The 2006 built Rans, reg G CDVF, which had only been owned by Graham John Williams for around two weeks at the time of the crash, had flown some successful circuits of the airfield before the disaster.
The Air Accident Investigation Branch report into the accident says the 64-year-old pilot, of Dorchester Drive, Muxton, Telford, who had 282 hours flying experience, had checked the aircraft thoroughly and it had only had a 100 hour inspection just 18 days earlier.
The report says: "On the day before the accident flight the pilot had visually checked the aircraft and engine
and completed engine ground runs during which it appeared to operate normally.
"Four take-offs, circuits and landings were then flown without incident but the pilot commented, in his report to the AAIB, that that the engine performance 'felt sluggish'. While preparing for the fifth take-off the engine began to run roughly and its rpm decreased before recovering.
"The pilot checked that the engine instrument readings were normal, the fuel selector was on and that the fuel tank contents were as expected."
After further checks the engine appeared to be performing normally and the pilot decided to carry out another take-off.
However, the report continues: "Shortly after becoming airborne, between 100ft and 200ft, there was an uncommanded reduction in engine rpm. The aircraft lost height and struck the ground in a steep nose-down attitude."
A small fire developed which was dealt with by a witness who was at the airfield, who then helped get the passenger free from the wreckage. The pilot was freed by the emergency services.
In looking for a cause, the report says: "There was no evidence of a pre-existing defect within the engine, its controls or fuel supply which would have prevented the engine from operating normally."
It says that as the aircraft had completed four short flights uneventfully fuel contamination or a problem with the ignition system were unlikely to have been the cause.
