Introduction
On 5 August 2007, at 1100 hrs, a Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee, registration G-AVRP, was involved in an accident 0.5 nm south-west of Isle of Wight/Sandown Airport. The aircraft was on a private flight to Pontivy, France. The sole pilot and three passengers were fatally injured, and the aircraft was destroyed.
History of the Flight
The aircraft departed earlier that day from a private airstrip in Staffordshire, 7 nm south of Tatenhill Airfield, and flew to Tatenhill to pick up three passengers. Without refuelling, it then flew to Sandown Airport, arriving at 0942 hrs after a 1 hour 55 minute flight. The aircraft touched down about halfway along Runway 05 and used most of the remaining runway to stop. The surface wind was from the south-east at 5 to 10 kt, and the runway in use was changed to Runway 23.
On the ground, the pilot filed a flight plan for Pontivy and a customs declaration for a return flight. He enquired about refuelling but was told no fuel was available. After receiving confirmation that his flight plan was filed, he and the passengers re-boarded. The pilot requested clearance to taxi and a departure from Runway 05, but was advised that inbound aircraft were landing on Runway 23 and movements were restricted to that runway. G-AVRP taxied to the holding point for Runway 23. At 1059 hrs, the pilot called "rolling".
Accident
Witnesses observed the aircraft's takeoff ground roll continue beyond a public footpath crossing the runway 584 metres from the start. The aircraft became airborne, climbed to about 50 ft agl, and maintained that height as it flew over rising ground towards a wooded copse 660 metres from the runway end. The aircraft's pitch attitude after takeoff was estimated at 10-15° nose-up. The engine sounded normal.
Just before reaching the copse, the aircraft pitched up and cleared the treetops by about 10 ft. It then disappeared from view, descending behind the trees with wings level but nose down. Another witness, 550 metres to the west-south-west, saw the aircraft clear the trees by about 20 ft in a nose-down attitude. He heard a "crack" and saw the aircraft descend rapidly. He did not see the impact but realised it had crashed.
A member of the public walking nearby heard the engine initially sound normal then splutter and stop. Two or three seconds later, a thump was heard. He saw the aircraft nose-down in a field, with the left side of the fuselage on fire. Attempts to extricate the occupants were unsuccessful due to intensifying fire. A private helicopter arrived from the airport and observed flames on the left wing and rising from the engine cowling. The helicopter crew called emergency services. The fire was extinguished by the aerodrome fire vehicle and local fire brigade.
Post-Accident
Post-mortems reported that three occupants died from their injuries, and the fourth, the youngest occupant, died from the effects of fire. No medical condition that could have contributed to the accident was found.
Examination
The aircraft struck the upper branches of a line of trees approximately 1 km from Sandown Airport on the extended centreline of Runway 23, then crashed inverted into a wheat field 60 metres beyond the trees. The collision with the tree likely imparted a significant left yaw, leading to the aircraft becoming inverted before ground impact. The first ground marks were two propeller slashes, followed by an impression from the engine cowling. The aircraft struck the ground inverted, with a flight path inclined at approximately 30° to the horizontal, and slid about 4 metres before coming to rest with the tail pointing vertically upwards. As the fire developed, the aircraft settled back into an inverted attitude. The wreckage was recovered to AAIB Farnborough for detailed examination.
The aircraft was manufactured in 1967, and the engine was a Textron Lycoming O-320-E2A, factory overhauled and fitted in May 1997. The aircraft had flown 980 hours at the time of the accident. The commander held a Private Pilot's Licence, aged 48, with 687 hours total flying experience (143 on type).