What happened
On 12 August 2021, a Mudry Cap 10B, registration G-BXBU, departed Watchford Farm in Somerset for a planned day trip to the Isles of Scilly. The flight, operated privately with one pilot and one passenger, initially proceeded under Visual Flight Rules. However, during the flight, the aircraft became trapped above a thick layer of cloud.
At approximately 0905 UTC, the pilot issued a 'PAN PAN' urgency call to Dunkeswell Radio, reporting that the aircraft was stuck above cloud and that the weather at the home base was too poor to land. The pilot expressed significant distress, stating he was in 'real trouble' and needed to divert to a nearby airfield. Following communications with the Distress and Diversion Cell, the aircraft was transferred to Exeter Radar.
During the descent toward Exeter, the pilot was instructed to fly a heading of 220 degrees and descend to 2,600 feet. The last radar contact occurred at 0917 UTC, showing the aircraft at 2,700 feet. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft struck an oak tree near Lower Colley Farm, Buckland St Mary, before hitting the ground. The impact resulted in two fatalities and the total destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation examined the radio communications between the pilot, the Distress and Diversion (D&D) controllers, and Exeter Radar. The investigation scrutinized the handover process of the aircraft between air traffic service providers and the adequacy of the information exchanged regarding weather conditions and aircraft capability.
Investigators also reviewed the radar data and the movements of a military jet that was holding in the vicinity of Exeter at the time of the emergency. The investigation looked into the lack of a formal radar handover and the failure of the Exeter assistant to identify themselves according to standard operating procedures during a telephone conversation with the D&D support controller.