History of the Flight
At 0958 hrs on 10 September 2021, a Cessna 172S Skyhawk, registration G-CFIO, departed Rochester Airport without authorization. The pilot, a 67-year-old student with 74 hours of flying experience (all on type), had been scheduled for a dual training exercise. While the instructor went to gain flight approval via Air Traffic Control, the pilot boarded the aircraft alone, taxied, and took off without air traffic clearance. Prior to departure, he transmitted over the radio that he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and indicated his intention to deliberately crash the aircraft.
Radar data showed that after departure, G-CFIO flew to an area south of Ashford, where it loitered and performed a sustained series of turns. At 1044 hrs, a witness located 1.5 km south-southeast of the accident site observed a white aircraft at low level enter a “sharp” descending left turn. The timing and location corresponded to the accident site.
Accident Site
Impact evidence indicated that G-CFIO struck the ground while in a descending left turn. The surrounding area contained several flat fields of acceptable length suitable for a forced landing, including the field where the wreckage came to rest. However, the approach track aligned across a corner of the field rather than along its length, leaving insufficient obstacle-free distance for a safe landing. A 30° track change to the right would have provided ample ground distance. No significant vertical obstacles were present near the final flight path that would have required the pilot to take avoiding action.
Aircraft Technical Examination
A detailed examination revealed multiple overload failures but no evidence of pre-impact disconnection or restriction of flight controls. The fuel tanks contained fuel, and the engine was under power at the time of impact.
Medical
The pilot had reported his terminal diagnosis over the radio but had not disclosed it to the Aero-medical Examiner (AME) who renewed his Class 2 medical certificate in June 2021. Unless the AME is the pilot's own General Practitioner (GP), they cannot access the pilot's central medical records. Pilots are required to disclose any significant medical conditions to their AME. A cancer diagnosis can lead to revocation of a medical certificate. The pilot's GP confirmed he was diagnosed in July 2021.
Analysis
The pilot renewed his medical certificate before receiving the terminal diagnosis but did not subsequently inform the AME of the change in his medical fitness. GPs are not obliged to inform AMEs of significant health changes. The investigation found no evidence of any technical failure that would have caused the aircraft to enter an uncontrolled descending left turn leading to the ground impact.