History of the Flight
The pilot, flying a Jabiru J400 (G-CCPV), departed from a privately owned airstrip in the Scottish Borders area at 1302 hrs for a planned VFR flight to Sleap (EGCV). The route passed near high ground with a spot elevation of 1,953 ft amsl. The pilot requested and received a basic service from Scottish Control. At around 1320 hrs, while at 2,500 ft approaching the highest point, the pilot estimated 800 ft between the cloud base and terrain. Suddenly, the cloud descended and the aircraft entered it. The pilot applied full power to climb but became disoriented, perceiving a stall and loss of control. The aircraft completed three 360° right turns before emerging from cloud after three to four minutes. The pilot then headed for the only clear area visible and inadvertently entered the Spadeadam danger area. The controller noticed the incursion and contacted the pilot. Upon learning of the loss of control in IMC, the controller offered assistance and coordinated with the Spadeadam controller. The pilot exited the danger area quickly and intended to continue to Sleap but later diverted to Kirkbride due to unsuitable weather.
Recorded Information
Flight data from the pilot's mobile navigation application showed the aircraft's track, altitude, and ground speeds during the inadvertent IMC entry.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft, a 2006 Jabiru J400 (serial no: PFA 325-14058) with one Jabiru 3300A piston engine, was equipped with an attitude indicator and a turn and slip indicator. Flight in IMC was not permitted under the aircraft's permit to fly.
Meteorological Conditions
The pilot used a web service for weather checks, noting a south-westerly wind of 20 kt, good visibility, and overcast cloud base at 3,500 ft. The Met Office aftercast indicated a warm front near the departure airstrip, with generally 20 km visibility, broken or overcast cloud bases at 1,500-2,500 ft amsl, and widespread scattered or broken cloud at 500-1,000 ft amsl, occasionally lowering to the surface near the warm front and in coastal areas. METARs at Spadeadam (station elevation ~950 ft) showed broken or overcast cloud at 1,500-1,700 ft agl during the period.
Personnel Information
The pilot, aged 71, held a Light Aircraft Pilot's Licence (LAPL) with 491 hours total (266 on type), including 20 hours in the last 90 days and 6 hours in the last 28 days. The pilot received IMC training approximately 20 years ago but had not practiced instrument flying or completed refresher training since. The LAPL permits only VFR flight and cannot be endorsed with instrument qualifications.
The incident highlights the availability of forecasts predicting low cloud along the planned route. The Skyway Code (CAP1535S version 3) provides meteorological advice for GA pilots, including the recommendation that VFR flight with a cloud ceiling of 1,500 ft or less AGL warrants special attention to terrain and obstacles.