History of the Flight
The Taylor Monoplane, owned and piloted by the 82-year-old holder of a National Private Pilot's Licence, departed Retreat Farm, Essex, at 0922 hrs bound for Nayland Airfield in Suffolk, a site he visited regularly. After a straight-in approach to Runway 32, the aircraft touched down just before the runway midpoint, veered left, left the mown surface into long grass, and came to rest inverted. The pilot was discovered unresponsive at approximately 1015 hrs by a club pilot who raised the alarm.
Accident Site
The aircraft traveled about 30 m through long grass to the left of the runway before nosing over. Ground marks from the main landing gear began approximately 250 m from the southern end of Runway 32. The canopy was broken, with all transparency fragments found near the aircraft. A fuel leak occurred but no fire ensued. First responders righted the aircraft.
Recorded Information
Flight data were captured by primary radar at Stansted Airport and RAF Wattisham, and a GPS unit recovered from the cockpit. The GPS logged position, altitude, and groundspeed every 10 seconds. The aircraft took off from Runway 28 and climbed, later descending to about 200 ft agl near Tiptree and Kelvedon before climbing to 1,450 ft amsl at Colchester. On approach to Nayland, the aircraft descended at an average rate of 580 ft/min. At approximately 250 m from the runway threshold, its estimated airspeed was 64 kt at about 180 ft agl. The next GPS point showed it over the runway at 70 ft agl and 62 kt. Ten seconds later, the aircraft was in long grass at 40 kt groundspeed, then stationary. The GPS data for six previous landings showed similar approach profiles.
Aircraft Examination
All flying controls were connected and operated normally, though the rudder was jammed in slight left deflection due to damage. Flaps were set to the first position. The propeller had one split blade. Fuel (about 25 litres) was drained from the tank. The canopy frame and transparency were damaged. The main landing gear turned freely and tires were in good condition. However, the right main landing gear shock absorber had seized. The left main landing gear and spat were damaged.
Medical Findings
A post-mortem examination indicated the pilot suffered a fatal heart attack, which the investigation concluded likely occurred after landing.