What happened
On 25 October 2008, a Piper PA 28-180 Cherokee Archer, registered G-BGTJ, departed Gloucestershire Airport in the United Kingdom for a private general aviation flight to Kilrush Airfield, Ireland. The flight proceeded in a north-westerly direction, crossing the Irish Sea at 6,500 feet after establishing contact with Dublin Air Traffic Control (ATC).
By 11:10 hrs, the pilot reported passing Newcastle, with radar confirming the aircraft at 4,000 feet. Shortly after, at 11:17 hrs, the pilot requested to continue using his own navigation to the destination and asked to close his flight plan. Dublin ATC closed the plan at 11:17:13 hrs, and no further radio transmissions were recorded.
The final radar contact occurred at 11:26 hrs, showing the aircraft flying west at 3,400 feet near the Glenmacnass Waterfall. The aircraft was later discovered near the summit of Corriebracks Mountain, approximately 9 miles from its last known radar position. The impact resulted in the destruction of the aircraft and four fatalities, including the pilot and three passengers.
The investigation
The search for the missing aircraft began in the evening after a relative of the pilot alerted the Shannon Aeronautical Information Service that the plane was overdue. Following an unsuccessful search of airfields in the southwest, emergency services were notified. The wreckage was located the following morning by a mountain rescue team.
Investigators focused on the flight's progression and the fact that the pilot had closed his flight plan while still en route. Because the flight plan was closed, there was no regulatory requirement for the pilot to confirm his arrival at Kilrush via telephone, nor for ATC to verify his arrival at the destination. The investigation also examined the weather conditions present during the flight and the pilot's prior communications regarding his intended arrival.