What happened
On 13 March 2004, a Cessna T310R, registration G-OGTX, departed Humberside Airport as part of an instructional flight. The flight was being conducted to prepare a pilot for a Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) commercial licence test. After taking off and requesting permission to practice an engine failure, the aircraft climbed through the air towards the northwest.
While operating at altitudes between 3,000 and 4,500 feet, the aircraft performed various manoeuvres. However, radar contact was lost at approximately 1157 hrs. Shortly after the loss of radar contact, witnesses observed the aircraft exiting a cloud layer in a steep, 45-degree nose-down attitude, travelling at high speed. The aircraft impacted the ground near Hotham, South Cave, resulting in 2 fatalities and the total destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and found no evidence of mechanical failure in the engines or the flight control systems. The engines were delivering symmetrical power at the time of impact, and the aircraft's wings remained level during its final descent, suggesting no loss of roll control.
Analysis of the wreckage revealed that pieces of the pilot's side window, including the foul weather window, had detached prior to impact. It is believed that the high-speed airflow during the dive caused the window to blow out. The investigation also reviewed radar data, which showed the aircraft's speed increasing significantly during its final leg, and examined the meteorological conditions, noting a low cloud base that could have obscured the pilots' visual references.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was likely operational rather than technical.
- The pilots may have been performing manoeuvres at extreme attitudes, such as stalls or unusual attitude recoveries, which led to a loss of control.
- The presence of a low cloud layer likely prevented the crew from recognising the developing situation or executing a timely recovery.
- The aircraft was flying at an altitude that provided a limited margin for error, as the cloud tops were only approximately 2,000 feet below the aircraft's operating altitude.
Safety action
- Safety Recommendation 2005-001: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) should require that all flight training in the United Kingdom intended for the award of FAA professional pilot licences be conducted by flying training organisations that have been evaluated and approved by the FAA.