What happened
On 2 April 2022, a Piper PA-28R-200-2, registration G-EGVA, was participating in a flying club fly-out from Wellesbourne Mountford Aerodrome to Le Touquet, France. The flight was being conducted under visual flight rules (VFR) by two qualified pilots, though neither held an instrument rating or qualification to fly in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).
As the aircraft progressed across the English Channel, it encountered a line of highly convective cloud. A video recorded by the occupant in the right seat showed the aircraft at 5,000 ft with cumulus clouds visible ahead. Radar data later indicated that the aircraft's altitude fluctuated, climbing to over 7,000 ft before a final descent. At 09:16 hrs, the crew transmitted to London Information that they were currently in cloud. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft disappeared from radar while descending rapidly at a rate of nearly 10,000 fpm.
An extensive search by UK and French authorities followed. While the aircraft and its two missing occupants were not located, several items, including a flight logbook and a seat from the aircraft, were recovered from the French coastline.
The investigation
The AAIB examined radar recordings, satellite imagery, and weather radar to reconstruct the flight path. The investigation noted that while other VFR aircraft in the fly-out group managed to navigate around the weather, G-EGNA entered the convective area. Investigators also analyzed the aircraft's flight path, which showed significant altitude changes and turns immediately prior to losing radar contact. The examination of a recovered seat suggested the aircraft was subjected to extreme forces upon impact with the water.
Findings
- The aircraft entered a highly active area of convective cloud that had been forecast for the region.
- Control of the aircraft was lost due to the entry into convective cloud.
- Neither pilot was qualified to fly in IMC, and their basic training was likely insufficient to manage the turbulence and disorientation encountered.
- The aircraft's rapid descent and the damage to recovered components suggest a high-speed impact with the sea.
- There is a possibility that previous experience flying through cloud without incident may have influenced the decision-making process.