History of the flight
The pilot had leased the aircraft, a Piper PA-38 Tomahawk, G-BNDE, for three months starting in early June 2014. He kept it at Elstree Aerodrome and flew regularly. On 20 August 2014, he departed Elstree at 0933 hrs, landed at Turweston at 1126 hrs, refueled, and then flew to White Waltham, arriving around 1300 hrs. He spent time there and booked out for a flight to Elstree at 1800 hrs local (1700 hrs UTC). At 1655 hrs, he called Elstree Tower to say he would not return that day. He tried to start the aircraft but the battery was flat; a maintenance organization used a booster to start it. He took off from White Waltham at 1708 hrs and headed north. South of Buckingham, he flew in a circular pattern for almost an hour between 2,500 ft and 4,700 ft amsl. At 1831 hrs, he attempted a phone call to a relative but it did not connect. Twenty-five seconds later, he sent a text message saying control was lost and the aircraft was "going down." About two minutes later, he broadcast a MAYDAY call on Farnborough Radar North frequency, stating the aircraft had gone into a spin. Witnesses near Padbury saw the aircraft descend rapidly, spinning or spiraling until it went out of view. The impact destroyed the aircraft and the pilot sustained fatal injuries.
Meteorological information
Weather conditions for visual flight were good on 20 August 2014. A weak pressure pattern across the UK with a light north to north-westerly airflow. An aftercast indicated the 2,000 ft wind was north-westerly (approximately 315°) at 10-15 kt and at 5,000 ft approximately 280° at 12 kt.
Pilot information
The pilot held a Commercial Pilot's Licence (CPL) and a helicopter licence. He had 3,027 hours total flying experience, with more than 80 hours on type. He had undertaken some aerobatic training recently, mainly in a Cessna 150 Aerobat. He was in current flying practice.
Pathology information
A post-mortem examination concluded that the cause of death was multiple injuries sustained in the impact. There was no evidence that disease, drugs, or alcohol could have caused or contributed to the death or loss of control.
Witness information
Witnesses who met the pilot during the day described his behavior as unremarkable; he appeared chatty, friendly, and relaxed. Several witnesses saw the aircraft enter a descending spiral from normal flight or already in a descending spin or spiral. The engine was heard running, cutting in and out during the spin.
Accident site
Emergency services reported a "sputtering" noise from the aircraft, which ceased after a fire crew member turned off switches, probably the combined Battery Master/Alternator switch, the anti-collision beacon, and the fuel boost pump.
Aircraft impact
The aircraft came to rest upright on a grassy area. Faint impressions from the wing leading edges indicated a slight left rotation after impact. Damage was consistent with striking the ground in a left spin with a wings-level nose-down attitude of 20° to 25°. The landing gear was flattened, and the empennage caused a crippling failure of the rear fuselage, indicative of a high vertical descent rate typical of a spin.
Fuel tanks
Fuel tanks in the inboard wing sections were punctured, allowing fuel to drain. The fuel selector was found halfway between off and left tank. The gascolator and carburettor were severely damaged.
Propeller and engine
The propeller was horizontal with undamaged blades and diagonal scuff marks, suggesting little or no power at impact. Very little oil was found; the casing had fractured around the oil filler tube. The mixture lever was set to fully rich, the throttle at mid-to-low, and carburettor heat midway.
Aircraft structure
Examination confirmed the aircraft was structurally complete at impact, with all extremities accounted for. Both cabin doors were closed at impact.
Electrical system
Tripped circuit breakers were the transponder and alternator field supply. The magneto switch was off (possibly placed by first responders).
Recorded information
Recorded information came from two mobile phones and a tablet computer recovered from the aircraft, ground-based primary radar records, and a radiotelephony recording of the MAYDAY. The tablet contained a GPS track log from 1653 hrs to 1822:54 hrs. No active route was selected. The tablet was on at impact, as its internal battery was depleted two days later.