What happened
On 14 November 2015, a Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage, registration N186CB, was conducting a private flight from Fairoaks, Surrey, to Dunkeswell Airfield, Devon. The weather at the destination was poor, characterized by rain and low cloud. As the pilot was establishing the final approach for Runway 22, the aircraft began a descent but then experienced a sudden, rapid pitch-up. This maneuver likely pushed the aircraft into the cloud layer.
Witnesses on the ground reported seeing the aircraft performing maneuvers that resembled aerobatics. The aircraft was observed climbing steeply before appearing again in a steep, nose-down attitude. The aircraft appeared to be in a spin, rotating as it descended, before striking the ground at Buttles Farm, near Churchin/Somerset. All four fatalities occurred during the impact, involving the pilot and three passengers.
The investigation
Investigators examined radar data, GPS records, and the aircraft's flight management systems. Radar tracks confirmed the aircraft's path from Fairoaks toward Dunkeswell. The GPS unit showed a flight plan was in use, and the pilot had frequently flown this specific route.
Technical analysis focused on the aircraft's autopilot and trim systems. Evaluation flights demonstrated that a pitch attitude of approximately +35 degrees would be required to replicate the climb seen in the data. Such an extreme angle exceeds the standard pitch ladder on the aircraft's attitude indicator, which only extends to +25 degrees. Investigators also looked into the possibility of the pilot manually overriding the autopilot without properly disengaging it, which could have created an out-of-trim condition.