What happened
On 4 January 2016, a Cirrus SR20, registration G-ZOGT, crashed into the North Sea approximately 4.5 NM west of the Dutch coast, near Schoorl. The flight originated from Gloucestershire Airport in the United Kingdom, with the pilot intending to fly the recently purchased aircraft to Osnabrück-Atterheide in Germany. The flight was conducted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR).
As the aircraft approached Dutch airspace, the pilot reported encountering visibility issues due to sea fog. While flying over the North Sea, the pilot requested a new heading to navigate through the clouds. Despite receiving a heading of 100° and warnings from Dutch Flight Information Services (FIS) regarding nearby wind turbines, the aircraft's flight path became erratic. Radar tracking showed the aircraft turning right and losing altitude before disappearing from radar at approximately 13:56 UTC. A subsequent search operation recovered parts of the wreckage and the pilot, who was deceased.
The investigation
The Dutch Safety Board (OVV) examined radio communications, flight records, and the aircraft's wreckage. The investigation analyzed the pilot's flight experience, noting that while the pilot had extensive theoretical knowledge, he had very limited recent experience with this specific aircraft type. Investigators also reviewed the weather conditions, which were characterized by low clouds and sea mist, making VFR flight extremely difficult.
Findings
- The pilot proceeded with a VFR flight despite weather forecasts suggesting that flying in the North Sea area would be nearly impossible due to poor visibility.
- The aircraft entered a state of spatial disorientation because the pilot lacked external visual references due to the low cloud base and sea fog.
- The final flight profile, showing alternating climbs, descents, and rolls, indicates the pilot lost awareness of the aircraft's attitude.
- The aircraft eventually entered a stall and crashed as a result of this disorientation.
- The pilot's limited recent experience with the Cirrus SR20 likely contributed to the inability to maintain control during the loss of visual references.