History of the Flight
The aircraft was owned by a syndicate based at Lydd Airport. On 6 August 2016, it was scheduled for two flights; the accident occurred during the second. The first flight was uneventful, landing at 1410 hrs. The pilot of the accident flight refuelled the aircraft and departed from Runway 21 at 1529 hrs, climbing to 2,200 ft. At 1533 hrs, he reported passing Rye VRP. The flight proceeded offshore, flying parallel to the coast before heading south to observe vessels. At 1552 hrs, the aircraft turned north-west, then north-east.
At 1558 hrs, the pilot called Lydd ATC, reporting engine problems with "temperatures sky high" and falling oil pressure. He was 12 nm from Lydd and 2.1 nm from the shore, within glide range. The controller advised the active runway and circuit direction. The aircraft maintained a track toward the shore near Rye but did not turn toward land. At 1559:26 hrs, it began descending at 1,300 fpm. The pilot reported the engine was failing and that he was losing altitude, adding that the engine was "popping" and could not be restarted. The aircraft continued on a track parallel to the coast, descending. The final radar return at 1600:34 hrs showed the aircraft at 600 ft, 1.42 nm from the beach, beyond glide range. The pilot made his last transmission at 1600:49 hrs, stating he was ditching.
Witness Observations
Witnesses on Winchelsea Beach observed the aircraft descending silently at an estimated 1,200 ft on a heading of 040-050°M. It struck the water in a flat attitude with flaps apparently up. After hitting the water, the aircraft skimmed across the surface, then flipped over and sank within about 30 seconds. A private pilot among witnesses raised the alarm. The SAR helicopter from Lydd was airborne at 1606 hrs and located an oil slick but no aircraft or survivors.
Aircraft Information
The PA-28-161 is a four-seat, low-wing aircraft with a 160 hp carburetted Lycoming O-320-D3G engine. The aircraft's glide performance chart indicates that from 2,200 ft, at 2,325 lbs weight, with windmilling propeller at 73 KIAS, it can glide just over 4 nm in still air. The aircraft had a single right-side door secured by two latches.
Engine and Instrumentation
The engine was monitored by rpm, oil pressure, and oil temperature gauges. The oil temperature gauge used a sensor whose resistance decreases as temperature increases, allowing more current to the gauge. No mechanical defect was found in the engine. However, a chafed wire was identified in the oil temperature indication system, which could explain the pilot's reports of high oil temperature. The aircraft was operating in conditions where severe carburettor icing could occur at any power setting.
Recorded Data
Radar data from London Gatwick and Pease Pottage recorded the flight from takeoff until shortly before impact. The aircraft's transponder provided altitude and squawk code. The pilot's tablet contained navigation software records of four previous flights. RTF recordings from Lydd captured the pilot's transmissions.
Ditching and Aftermath
The aircraft struck the water approximately 1.2 nm from Winchelsea Beach. It became inverted and sank. The pilot and aircraft were recovered from the seabed several days later. The investigation did not identify a mechanical defect in the engine.