What happened
On 10 September 2021, a student pilot operating a Cessna 172S, registration G-CFIO, took off from Rochester Airport without permission from the aircraft operator or clearance from air traffic control. Prior to departure, the pilot used the aircraft radio to announce a terminal medical diagnosis and expressed a specific intention to deliberately crash the aircraft.
After departing Rochester, radar tracking showed the aircraft flying south of Ashford, where it performed a series of sustained turns. At approximately 10:44 UTC, a witness observed the aircraft enter a sharp, descending left turn at low altitude. The aircraft subsequently struck the ground in a field near Ruckinge, Kent. The impact occurred while the aircraft was in a descending left turn. The pilot sustained fatal injuries, and the aircraft was destroyed.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft' and the pilot's medical history. Technical examination of G-CFIO revealed several overload failures resulting from the impact, but no evidence of mechanical failure or flight control restriction prior to the crash. The engine was found to be under power at the time of impact.
Regarding the pilot's medical status, it was established that while the pilot had received a terminal cancer diagnosis in July 2021, this condition had not been disclosed to the Aero-medical Examiner (AME) during the renewal of his Class 2 medical certificate in June 2021.
Findings
- The aircraft struck the ground during a descending left turn.
- The field where the aircraft crashed was suitable for a safe landing, and a minor course correction would have allowed for a successful field landing.
- There was no evidence of technical failure or mechanical malfunction that would have caused the uncontrolled descent.
- The pilot had failed to disclose a significant medical diagnosis to the medical examiner, which likely would have resulted in the revocation of his flying medical certificate.