Introduction
On 8 December 2012, at 1119 UTC, a home-built Jabiru UL microlight aircraft, registration G-VILA, crashed in a field near Aldham, close to Hadleigh, Suffolk. The aircraft was destroyed by the impact and a severe post-crash fire. The pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries.
Flight History
The aircraft was owned and based at a grass airstrip in the village of Newton, near Sudbury. The pilot arrived at the airstrip around 1000 hrs and had a brief conversation with another pilot before departing. The flight took off at approximately 1027 hrs and initially climbed to 700 ft amsl before descending to about 400 ft (200 ft agl) near Boxford. The pilot then climbed and flew toward Ipswich, performing an orbit over the city before tracking to Felixstowe along the coastline. At 1053 hrs, the aircraft flew back over Ipswich and headed northwest toward Newton.
A friend recognized the aircraft as it passed over Ipswich and called the pilot's mobile phone at 1105 hrs. During the five-minute conversation, the pilot described his route and noted there was mist ahead, requiring a descent to 300 ft. The call ended at 1106:28 hrs. Radar and GPS data show the aircraft descended to about 240 ft agl over an industrial area near Hadleigh, then climbed again.
Final Manoeuvres
Approximately 0.5 nm southeast of Elmsett Airfield, the aircraft performed an orbit descending to about 260 ft, then made a series of turns ending over the threshold of Runway 05 at 200 ft aal. It tracked along the runway centerline, descending to about 50 ft at a groundspeed of 58 kt, then climbed in a left turn for another approach. After a tight left orbit at 180 ft above the threshold, the aircraft flew south away from the runway. It then climbed rapidly, descended to 150 ft, climbed again, and descended to 170 ft while making two 180° turns. During these manoeuvres, an inadvertent radio transmission of about 3.5 seconds was recorded; it contained only breathing sounds.
The aircraft then turned left toward the east, briefly climbed to about 480 ft, and descended at 3,300 ft/min in a left turn, impacting the ground seconds later.
Witness Accounts
A farmer in Aldham heard an aircraft he believed was performing aerobatics. He saw the aircraft "hop" over trees and buildings at an altitude of about 150 ft agl, then pull up at a very steep angle and pass out of sight into the cloud. He described the engine sound as a roar during the pull-up, followed by a spluttering noise. The aircraft then dropped out of the cloud about 150 m east of his location, struck a power cable, and disappeared behind buildings. A severe fire developed immediately.
A military pilot walking his dogs about 1 nm east of Hadleigh heard and saw a light aircraft at an estimated 500 ft agl, heading approximately 070° at about 70 kt. He noted the aircraft was operating in the base of cloud, which he estimated at 300 ft agl with visibility rapidly reducing.
Recorded Data
The Debden radar recorded the aircraft's position and pressure altitude at six-second intervals from shortly after takeoff until 1119:01 hrs, with the final position 48 m from the impact point. A GPS unit recovered from the aircraft provided a track log recording position, altitude, and groundspeed from 1027 hrs until 1119:05 hrs. The two data sources correlated closely, confirming the flight path and altitude profile.
The GPS data showed the aircraft reached a maximum altitude of about 1,000 ft amsl during the flight. In the final seven minutes, the aircraft descended from 1,000 ft to low levels while manoeuvring near Elmsett Airfield.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
G-VILA was a Jabiru UL, a three-axis home-built microlight, powered by a single Jabiru PTY 2200A piston engine. It was built in 1999 and had a maximum takeoff weight of 430 kg. At the time of the accident, the engine and airframe had both logged 907 flying hours. The aircraft held a Permit to Fly issued on 11 August 2012.
The pilot, aged 56, held a UK Private Pilot's Licence (A) since 1989 and a Microlight class rating since 1993. His total flying experience was 634 hours, of which 260 hours were on type. His last flight before the accident was on 11 November 2012. The pilot had a valid medical declaration under ORS 4 No 912, which also restricted flight outside controlled airspace to visibility of 3 km or more. The Air Navigation Order 2009 required that aircraft with a Permit to Fly operate only by day and under Visual Flight Rules unless CAA permission was obtained.
Wreckage and Impact
The aircraft struck the ground approximately 70° nose-down in a ditch, with the right wing impacting the opposite bank. The wreckage was confined to a small area, except for a piece of one propeller blade found on a roof 10 m away. The intense fire consumed much of the aft fuselage and empennage, and damaged most of the cockpit. The fuel tank was recovered but contained only ditch water. Witness marks on the right wing leading edge and bracing strut matched damage to an electricity cable, which was broken by the impact. The piece of propeller blade on the roof indicated the engine was likely turning when it struck the cable.