On April 26, 1987, a Cessna 441 Conquest (registration G-MOXY) operated by Brown Air Services was involved in an aviation accident near Blackbushe, United Kingdom during landing or approach. One person was killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The curved flight path of the aircraft from go-around to impact and progressive increase in bank angle suggest that an asymmetric thrust condition was most probable. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).
An aircraft crashed into trees after a go-around initiated due to an unsafe landing gear indication. The loss of control cause was not determined, but asymmetric thrust was considered most probable.
Accident Sequence
The accident occurred at Blackbushe airfield following a go-around from an approach to land on runway 26. The aircraft appeared to begin the go-around normally but was then seen to bank to the left and start turning left. The turn continued through 135° of heading, at a low height, with the bank angle increasing progressively, until the aircraft crashed into trees, semi-inverted, approximately 550 meters from the runway 26 threshold. The reason for the initiation of the go-around was an unsafe main landing gear indication caused by a defective microswitch.
Investigation Findings
The reasons for the subsequent loss of control could not be determined. The effectiveness of the investigations was considerably reduced by the lack of flight recorders. There was no evidence of pilot incapacitation. Extensive examination of the wreckage revealed no flap or flying control malfunction, neither was there any evidence of failure of either engine or propeller control mechanism. The curved flight path of the aircraft from go-around to impact and progressive increase in bank angle suggest that an asymmetric thrust condition was most probable.
Probable cause
The curved flight path of the aircraft from go-around to impact and progressive increase in bank angle suggest that an asymmetric thrust condition was most probable.