Aircraft and Flight Details
On 8 July 2007 at 1500 UTC, a Cessna F150L (registration G-HFCI, serial number 1972) operated as a private flight crashed near Clutton Hill Farm Strip, Bristol. The aircraft was powered by a single Continental Motors Corp O-200-A piston engine. The pilot, aged 34, held a Private Pilot's Licence and had 79 hours total flying experience (60 on type), with 7 hours in the last 90 days and none in the last 28 days. One passenger was also on board. Both occupants suffered fatal injuries, and the aircraft was destroyed by impact and post-crash fire.
History of the Flight
The pilot and passenger arrived at the airfield by car in the early afternoon. At approximately 1410 hrs, the pilot was seen standing on the fuselage of the aircraft, passing a white plastic drum to the passenger. Around 1445 hrs, the pilot spoke to another pilot who had just landed, and they discussed weather conditions. Shortly after, the engine was started and G-HFCI taxied to Runway 25. Eyewitnesses reported a normal takeoff, with the aircraft becoming airborne about 150 ft before the runway end. The aircraft climbed steadily but at a higher pitch attitude and lower airspeed than normal.
At 1500 hrs, the pilot made radio contact with Bristol radar, stating: "We're a Cessna one fifty just left from clutton gonna cross over Bath towa--!" The transmission lasted 14 seconds and ended abruptly.
Eyewitnesses reported that at a height of approximately 200 ft, about 350 m past the runway end, the engine appeared to stop. The aircraft then rolled to the left and entered a vertical descent, striking the ground with an extensive post-impact fire.
Eyewitness Accounts
Several eyewitnesses observed the flight. Two on the airfield described the start and taxi as normal, but could not confirm whether power checks were conducted. A local pilot described the takeoff run as normal. Multiple witnesses, both on the airfield and nearby, noted the aircraft adopted an unusually high nose-up attitude with lower than normal airspeed after becoming airborne. They assessed the peak height as about 200 ft.
Witnesses then described the engine going silent and the left wing dropping rapidly, though the sequence was unclear. The aircraft descended almost vertically and went out of sight behind trees or buildings. One witness, almost directly below the flight path, said the engine noise changed to a struggle, then silence, followed five seconds later by a "pop" like a shotgun.
Pilot Information
The pilot trained in Florida and obtained his PPL in 2002. He flew only 90 minutes in 2003 and did not fly again until June 2006, when he completed a proficiency check. In November 2006, he completed a check flight on a PA-28. He then flew two solo flights; during the second in January 2007, he experienced navigation and airmanship difficulties, leading the flight training organisation to revoke his solo privileges. In February 2007, he purchased G-HFCI and flew approximately 20 hours before his PPL lapsed in May 2007. His revalidated PPL was issued on 4 July 2007 based on the 2006 check flight. The accident flight was his first since 20 May. During his 20 hours in G-HFCI, several ATC units had reported concerns about his navigation, radio communications, and airmanship to the CAA's Aviation Regulation Enforcement branch. The pilot held a valid JAA Class 2 medical certificate issued on 28 April 2007.
Airfield and Takeoff Performance
Clutton Hill Farm Strip is 7.5 nm east-south-east of Bristol Airport, located on a hilltop 600 ft amsl. The grass runway 07/25 is approximately 1,936 ft long and 88 ft wide, with an upslope, especially in the final third. About 150 ft before the runway end, a small ridge acts as a ramp, projecting aircraft into the air. The ground drops away from the departure end of Runway 25 into a wide valley. The accident site was 50 ft below runway level. The airfield lies under Bristol Control Area (CTA) starting at 1,500 ft amsl; it is normal practice to call Bristol Radar on the ground to obtain clearance, but not required.
According to the pilot's operating handbook, at maximum weight (1,600 lbs) and ambient conditions, the aircraft required a ground roll of 832 ft and total distance to 50 ft of 1,482 ft. With a CAA Change Sheet requiring a 15% increase, the figures became 956 ft and 1,704 ft. Using CAA Safety Sense leaflet factors (20% for grass plus 33% safety margin) gives 1,526 ft ground roll. The best rate of climb speed is 76 mph, best glide 70 mph, and flaps-up stall 55 mph.
Meteorological Conditions
The Met Office aftercast for Clutton Hill at the accident time gave surface wind from 230° at 9 kt, temperature 16°C, dew point 9°C, relative humidity 63%, visibility 25 to 40 km outside rain showers. The latest forecast for Bristol Lulsgate (issued 1200 hrs, valid 1300-2200 hrs) predicted surface wind 260° at 12 kt, visibility >10 km, scattered cloud at 2,000 ft, with temporary reduction to 7,000 m in rain showers and 30% probability of 4,000 m in heavy showers with broken cumulonimbus at 2,000 ft. Eyewitnesses near the accident site confirmed no rain in the immediate area.
Post-Mortem and Toxicology
A post-mortem examination by a specialist aviation pathologist confirmed both occupants died of multiple injuries sustained on impact. The pilot showed no natural disease that could have caused or contributed to the accident. He exhibited no injuries to suggest his harness was used. No alcohol or drugs were found in the passenger's blood or urine. The pilot's blood contained no alcohol, but toxicology revealed methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (MDMA, or 'Ecstasy') at a concentration of 0.28 mg/L, slightly above typical recreational levels. This suggests the drug was taken within a few hours of the flight, not as a residue from the previous night.
Accident Site and Wreckage
The aircraft crashed into a field corner 370 m beyond the upwind runway end, slightly left of the extended centre line, about 50 ft below runway level. Beyond, the ground sloped steeply into a wide valley. At impact, the aircraft was pitched about 30° below the horizon, slightly banked right and sideslipping right, with a very high rate of descent and negligible forward speed, consistent with a fully developed stall. The fuel tanks ruptured, causing a severe post-impact fire.
Propeller leading edges were undamaged; parallel score marks on the lower blade face indicated the propeller was stopped at impact. The carburettor hot air flap was cold; throttle and mixture impact settings could not be determined. Both fuel tanks showed hydrodynamic deformation indicating substantial liquid at impact. The left tank lost its contents and burned; the right tank contained traces of liquid residues with AVGAS aroma and pale blue colour, but fire-fighting water may have penetrated. Both fuel filler caps were locked but seals damaged.
Probable Cause
Not stated in the source.