What happened
On 23 August 2009, a Cessna F177RG Cardinal RG, registration G-LNYS, was conducting a private aerial photography mission over East Sussex. The aircraft had departed from Popham at 1100 hrs carrying the pilot and a passenger. After approximately four hours and twenty minutes of flight with normal engine performance, the engine began to shudder and lose power while the aircraft was cruising at 1,500 ft.
Despite attempts to troubleshoot the issue, the pilot could not maintain level flight. After declaring a pan, the pilot identified a potential landing site; however, the initial field chosen was deemed unsuitable due to the presence of livestock. The pilot subsequently selected an adjacent small field for the forced landing. During the landing sequence, the aircraft failed to stop within the available distance and struck bushes and small trees at the far end of the field. The impact resulted in the aircraft being damaged beyond economic repair. The pilot sustained minor injuries, while the passenger remained uninjured.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators noted that while there was a smell of fuel present at the scene, no fire occurred. An initial examination of the engine following the accident revealed no obvious cause for the loss of power.