What happened
On 3D May 2017, a Letov LK-2M Sluka, registration G-MZNZ, was conducting a private local flight departing from College Farm Airstrip in Oakley, Bedfordshire. The weather conditions at the time were reported as calm with good visibility.
Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft's engine ceased functioning. In an attempt to manage the emergency, the pilot lowered the nose of the aircraft to maintain forward momentum and land straight ahead. During this maneuver, the aircraft passed over one set of power lines before striking a second, higher set of lines. The impact caused the engine to catch fire. The collision resulted in a power line breaking, and the aircraft subsequently fell to the ground, coming to rest in an inverted position.
Following the impact, the pilot managed to release his harness and exit the wreckage. Although the pilot attempted to retrieve a fire extinguisher from the far end of the airstrip, the aircraft was fully consumed by fire by the time he returned. Emergency services, including the local ambulance and fire rescue services, arrived at the scene. The pilot sustained one minor injury to his head.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Examination of the aircraft's engine was conducted to determine the nature of the power loss. The investigation established that the engine failure occurred while the engine was operating at full power.
Findings
- The engine failure was likely caused by the failure of the front cylinder head gasket while the engine was at full power.