What happened
On the evening of 27 December 2009, a Mainair Blade 912S microlight, registration EI-EHR, was performing its third local flight of the day from a private airstrip near Shinrone, Co. Offaly. The pilot, who was conducting his first flight as pilot-in-command with a passenger, was returning to land on runway 04. As the sun was setting, the light was receding rapidly.
During the final approach, the pilot observed what he believed to be a person walking near the middle of the runway. To avoid a potential collision with this individual, the pilot opted for a lower approach, intending to touch down earlier on the runway to stop quickly. During this maneuver, the aircraft's rear wheels made contact with an overhead telephone cable positioned approximately 6 meters above the ground. The impact caused the aircraft to lose control and crash into a field roughly 20 meters beyond the airstrip's boundary wall. The aircraft was destroyed, and both the pilot and the passenger sustained serious injuries.
The investigation
The AAIU investigation examined the flight conditions, the pilot's experience, and the physical evidence at the crash site. Investigators found that the aircraft was in good mechanical condition with no pre-impact technical defects. The investigation also noted that the pilot's UK-issued NPPL(A) license was not valid for flying in the Republic of Ireland, as he had not sought the necessary permission from the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA).
Findings
Several factors contributed to the accident:
- The primary cause was the aircraft striking a telephone cable during the final approach.
- Rapidly fading light at sunset impaired the pilot's ability to accurately judge the clearance between the aircraft and the wires.
- The pilot's lack of experience with approaches to runway 04 and his limited total flying time (35 hours) influenced his decision-making.
- The pilot's perception of a person walking near the runway led to a low approach, which placed the aircraft in the path of the cables.
- The pilot was aware of the cables' presence but misjudged the vertical distance required to clear them.