Introduction
On 8 February 2005, a Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior II, registration G-BHIL, crashed into a grass field near Horsmonden, Kent. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot, the only person on board, was fatally injured. The flight was a private VFR return trip from Zwartberg Airfield in Belgium, with a planned destination of Shoreham but an intended stop at Old Hay Farmstrip in Kent.
History of the Flight
The pilot, aged 52 and holding a Private Pilot's Licence, had 225 hours of flying experience, of which 142 were on the accident aircraft type. On 31 January 2005, he flew a check flight with a club instructor, who assessed his ability as good. On 7 February, the pilot arrived at Shoreham flying club to plan a flight to Zwartberg. He filed a VFR flight plan via the St Inglevert NDB and Bruno VOR, and entered the route into a recently purchased handheld GPS unit with assistance. The aircraft departed Shoreham at 1410 hrs and arrived at Zwartberg at 1631 hrs. The pilot was assisted by a local club member in closing his flight plan and filing a return plan via Bruno VOR, Calais, Dover, Mayfield VOR, and direct to Shoreham. He refuelled with 29.93 litres and then stayed overnight. That evening, he telephoned the owner of Old Hay Farmstrip and mentioned he might land there the following day; the owner advised him to call before landing and provided a mobile number.
On the morning of 8 February, the aircraft was seen parked on the apron covered in frost. At about 0830 hrs, a maintenance manager observed the aircraft backtrack Runway 21 and take off. The pilot had not activated his filed flight plan. Before departure, he left a message for the Old Hay owner. The owner returned the call around 0800 hrs and heard the engine noise in the background, indicating the aircraft was in flight. The owner reported fog with visibility of 100 to 200 metres and told the pilot the weather was too misty for landing. The pilot could not hear the message, and the call was terminated. The owner called back several times but received no answer.
The pilot's GPS unit survived the accident and provided track and altitude data. The active route was from Zwartberg to the Bruno VOR, then to Lashenden-Headcorn (EGKH), then via Old Hay to Shoreham. The pilot contacted Brussels Information and transited Belgium at about 1,500 feet. At 1009 hrs, he contacted London Flight Information Service, reporting his route. At 1015 hrs, the aircraft crossed the English Channel and coasted in southwest of Dover. The pilot requested the Chatham QNH (1022 hPa) and later received Shoreham weather (wind calm, visibility 2,500 metres, few clouds at 1,200 feet, QNH 1025 hPa). At 1026 hrs, he requested the cloudbase and visibility for Headcorn. London Information reported the sky was obscured with visibility about 1 kilometre and wind calm. When offered Lydd weather, the pilot declined, stating he was below cloud and could see where he was going.
Accident Sequence
The aircraft proceeded west from Ashford along the railway line, descending several times to as low as 200 feet agl. At about 1040 hrs, approximately 3 nautical miles east of Old Hay, the aircraft climbed to 1,200 feet over 1.5 minutes in a steep climb, then flew between 1,000 and 1,200 feet, turning right and left before settling on a south-westerly track. At 1043 hrs, it entered a right orbit over the eastern edge of Horsmonden. Halfway through the orbit, it made a rapid descent to about 400 feet. A witness reported seeing the aircraft emerge from fog at low level with the engine at high power, then disappear into fog. The aircraft turned left sharply, then performed a right orbit at about 500 feet before adopting a north-easterly track while reducing height. At 1048 hrs, when London Information requested its position, the pilot replied he was just left of Headcorn and still heading towards Mayfield. The aircraft then commenced a gentle right descending turn near farm buildings, which tightened before it crashed into a grass field. A witness 700 metres southwest, surrounded by dense fog, heard the engine at low power; the sound either continued up to impact or ceased one to two seconds before. The witness located the wreckage and contacted emergency services. There was no post-crash fire.
Impact Parameters
The initial impact was made by the right wingtip at relatively high speed on a heading of 200° magnetic, with the aircraft in a nose-low attitude and right bank exceeding 45°. The aircraft continued forward for about 7 metres before the nose struck the ground beside a hedge. The inboard section of the left wing then contacted a low tree, rupturing the fuel tank and spilling fuel. The aircraft came to an abrupt halt within 10 metres, uprooting the hedge.
Weather
At 1100 hrs on 8 February 2005, the synoptic situation featured low pressure over Iceland and high pressure over former Soviet satellite states, feeding a light south-westerly flow over Belgium and southeast England. Over Kent, widespread mist with lingering fog patches was present. Surface visibility was generally 1,500 to 2,500 metres in mist, but locally less than 1,000 metres in fog patches.