History of the Flight
The aircraft, an Escapade 912 (G-CDLE), departed its base at Eastbach Farm Airfield near Lydbrook, Gloucestershire, at approximately 1045 hrs with a pilot and a passenger. It flew to Over Farm Airstrip and then to Rodley Airstrip, arriving about 1140 hrs. Witnesses at Rodley reported both occupants were in good spirits. The aircraft departed Rodley at 1340 hrs for Shobdon Airfield, Herefordshire, where the occupants planned to have lunch.
The pilot contacted Shobdon radio at about 1400 hrs, reporting 3 nm south of the airfield at 1,400 ft. He affirmed familiarity with the circuit and intended to join the microlight circuit at 1,500 ft. At 1425 hrs, he reported descending dead side. The Flight Information Service Officer (FISO) advised not below 1,500 ft due to gliding; the pilot acknowledged.
A visitor to the control tower brought the FISO's attention to an aircraft in a spiral descent at about 500 ft. The FISO observed the spiral develop into a nose-low vertical descent before impact about 150 m north of the runway. A post-impact fire occurred; the Airfield Fire and Rescue Service extinguished it with foam. Paramedics declared both occupants dead.
Witness Accounts
Several witnesses on the ground described the aircraft in a vertical spiral dive or spin. One pilot witness saw it at no more than 500 ft and slow; after looking away, he saw the left wing drop, nose dive, and spin. An airborne pilot in another microlight, climbing through 400 ft, saw G-CDLE about 400 m away at two o'clock, 50 ft above, on a conflicting track. He closed the throttle and pushed forward to pass underneath. As he did, G-CDLE turned sharply left and appeared to stall; the left wing dropped sharply, and the aircraft rotated anti-clockwise 180° in a near-vertical attitude before disappearing. His passenger reported the aircraft crashed near the upwind end of the active runway.
Engineering
The wreckage came to rest 150 m north of Runway 09 threshold. A post-impact fire destroyed fabric, fuel system, and combustible components. The left landing gear and nose leg were displaced right; the right main gear was nearly undamaged. The left tail-plane was deflected upward. The wing structure migrated forward and rotated left, with the leading edge crushed over its entire span. The right fuel tank was punctured, spilling fuel onto the engine. Two propeller blades failed near the roots from backward bending; the third shattered. Debris distribution indicated the propeller was rotating at impact, confirming engine power was available.
The condition of the aircraft was consistent with a high vertical speed impact while banked left. No evidence of pre-impact control system failure was found. Flight instruments were not identifiable.
Conduct of the Flight
The pilot indicated familiarity with the Shobdon circuit, and a flight guide was found on his kneeboard. Dialogue with the FISO suggested he planned to descend below the minimum 1,500 ft on the dead side. Although reminded of the restriction, he was observed at 500 ft on the dead side. The aircraft then took avoiding action on a departing aircraft, which likely led to loss of control. One witness described the aircraft as slow; if close to the 30 mph clean stall speed, it would have been more susceptible to departing controlled flight through aggressive maneuvering.
Airfield Details
Shobdon Airfield's procedures include left-hand circuits for Runway 27 and right-hand for Runway 09. Overhead joins require descent not below 1,500 ft on the dead side. Microlight circuits are at 500 ft QFE. On the day, Runway 27 was in use with CAVOK conditions and surface wind 270°/15-20 kt.
Occupants
The pilot, aged 56, held a Private Pilot's Licence with 86 hours total (77 on type). He had visited Shobdon six times before, last in August 2008. The passenger was an experienced flex-wing microlight pilot. Post mortem reports indicated severe injuries from a high-speed impact; toxicology showed no alcohol or drugs.