History
The pilot of G-CMGB, a 71-year-old with 390 hours total flying experience including 181 on type, had flown to Coal Aston Airfield on 29 August 2024. He planned to return to Clench Common on 1 September. He was dropped off at the airfield at approximately 0646 hrs. CCTV recording showed him inspecting the aircraft and loading a bag at 0725 hrs. The aircraft started at 0750 hrs, taxied, and took off from Runway 11 at 0756 hrs. Visibility was assessed as 400 m to the north-east and 600 m to the east. After takeoff, the aircraft entered a climbing right turn followed by four right-hand orbits south of the airfield. Altitude trended upward to about 2,000 ft amsl. An eyewitness in Unstone reported hearing and seeing the aircraft circling before it entered cloud. G-CMGB then climbed on a meandering southerly track towards Chesterfield, reaching 2,500 ft amsl. At Chesterfield, it flew two more right-hand orbits, descending to a minimum of 700 ft agl before climbing back to 1,200 ft agl. Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft emerge from clouds, climb steeply, and then spiral out of control before striking the ground at 0804 hrs. A post-impact fire started 13 seconds later. Emergency services arrived at 0813 hrs. The pilot sustained fatal injuries.
Accident Site
The aircraft came to rest upright on concrete hardstanding in an industrial estate. Post-accident fire melted parts of the structure; no fuel remained. Wings and tail remained attached, with compression damage on wing leading edges indicating a steep nose-down attitude at impact. The canopy and windscreen shattered. All three propeller blades were found within 25 m of the main wreckage. Burned documents including logbooks and handwritten notes were recovered.
Recorded Information
The aircraft was equipped with ADS-B Out; GPS position data was recorded. The track showed initial climbing and descending orbits south of the airfield, with groundspeed varying between 50 and 130 kt. Over Chesterfield, two descending right orbits occurred over 90 seconds, with groundspeed accelerating to 178 kt and a peak descent rate of 5,250 ft/min. The aircraft then turned left, descended and climbed, then descended in a right turn. The last recorded point positioned the aircraft about 400 ft agl in a steep dive. CCTV footage captured the aircraft descending nose-first at a descent rate exceeding 11,200 ft/min at 110 kt, with engine sound audible.
Aircraft Examination
Detailed examination was limited by extensive impact and fire damage. No evidence of pre-impact structural failure was found. Rudder control cables were intact. Aileron and pitch control systems were damaged but bolted connections remained intact. The pitch trim servo indicated an intermediate position. The cockpit panel was disrupted; only broken airspeed indicator and altimeter were identified. The engine sustained significant damage; propeller damage indicated high rotational speed at impact.
Flight Planning
Handwritten notes recovered from the wreckage included planning details. The pilot expected a flight duration of 1 hour 40 minutes. Notes included warnings about not flying before 11 AM due to rain, and checks on cloud base. The notes also indicated amendments to timings and weather, referencing likely rain from 0845 hrs, good visibility until 1130 hrs, and low cloud base of 2,000 ft from 7 AM.