Accident Details
An Islander aircraft, based in Glasgow, was operating an air ambulance mission for the Scottish Ambulance Service. The pilot assigned to the flight had not flown for 32 days and was required to complete a short currency flight at Glasgow before collecting a paramedic for the journey to Campbeltown Airport on the Kintyre Peninsula. Poor weather at the destination necessitated an instrument approach.
Flight and Approach
Campbeltown Airport lacked radar and air traffic control services. The pilot received a Flight Information Service from a Flight Information Service Officer in accordance with authorized procedures. After arriving overhead, the aircraft flew outbound on the approach procedure for Runway 11 and began a descent. The pilot then transmitted that he had completed the 'base turn', indicating he was inbound and commencing the approach. No further communications were received, and attempts to contact the aircraft were unsuccessful.
Aftermath and Investigation
Emergency services were alerted, and an extensive search was mounted based on the pilot's last transmission. The wreckage was located on the seabed 7.7 nautical miles west-north-west of Campbeltown Airport. There were no survivors.
Probable Cause
The investigation identified three causal factors: (1) The pilot allowed the aircraft to descend below the minimum altitude for its position on the approach procedure, and this descent probably continued unchecked until the aircraft struck the sea. (2) A combination of fatigue, workload, and lack of recent flying practice probably contributed to reduced pilot performance. (3) The pilot may have been subject to an undetermined influence such as disorientation, distraction, or subtle incapacitation, which affected his ability to safely control the flight path.