What happened
On 19 July 2006, a student pilot was conducting his second solo flight in a Cessna F150L, registration G-BABB, at Southend Airport. After completing a successful dual flight earlier that day, the student was performing solo circuits. While on final approach, the Aerodrome Controller (ADC) issued an instruction to the student to turn north, away from the final approach track, to avoid a conflict with a faster-approaching Piper Malibu.
This instruction involved non-standard radiotelephony phrases. The student complied, turning the aircraft away from the runway. However, while flying level at a low altitude, the aircraft was unable to maintain sufficient airspeed. The aircraft stalled at a height that made recovery impossible, entering a spiral dive. Witnesses observed the aircraft descend vertically into Eastwood Park, a public park approximately one nautical mile from the airfield. The student pilot sustained one fatal injury.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation examined the sequence of events, the air traffic control communications, and the aircraft's configuration. Investigators found that the student pilot was operating in an approach configuration, with flaps extended. The investigation also looked into the coordination between the Aerodrome Controller and the Approach Controller regarding the incoming Piper Malibu.
It was established that the controller's decision to instruct the student to turn away was intended to resolve a potential conflict between the two aircraft. However, the instruction was delivered using non-standard language and required a manoeuvre that the student had not specifically practised in that configuration. The investigation also noted that the controller's instruction to turn north was intended to keep the student away from the final approach track, but the student failed to reconfigure the aircraft for level flight after the turn.
Findings
- The student pilot was instructed to perform an unfamiliar and non-standard manoeuvre while in the approach configuration.
- The aircraft was flying at a power setting that was insufficient to maintain flying speed during the turn.
- The student pilot failed to adjust the aircraft's configuration to maintain airspeed during the deviation from the approach path.
- The use of non-standard radiotelephony phrases contributed to the complexity of the situation.