What happened
On 26 May 2000, a Piper PA-2-8R-200-2, registration G-BCOP, departed Halfpenny Green, Shropshire, for London Manston Airport. While the initial weather conditions were favorable, the pilot encountered increasing shower activity and lowering cloud bases as the flight progressed toward Kent.
After receiving a weather report from Manston indicating rain and low cloud, the pilot decided to divert to Southend. During the diversion, the pilot observed that the VOR receivers were displaying off flags and found that communication with Thames Radar could not be established. It was subsequently determined that the aircraft had experienced a total electrical failure.
To avoid the risk of infringing controlled airspace while navigating a busy environment, the pilot opted for an emergency field landing. After rejecting two potential landing sites due to the presence of sheep and overhead cables, the pilot selected a large field. Due to the lack of electrical power, the pilot could not verify the position of the landing gear. Upon touchdown, the aircraft spun 180 degrees and became embedded in a field of rape crop. The aircraft sustained damage to both wings, the tail unit, and two of the three landing gear legs. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The investigation established that the pilot was attempting to navigate via the Detling VOR when the electrical systems failed. The investigation also noted that a similar electrical failure had been reported by the aircraft owner only four days prior to this accident. At that time, a maintenance organization had inspected the system but found no fault, advising the owner to monitor the situation.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the total electrical failure occurring amidst deteriorating weather conditions.
- The pilot's inability to communicate with Air Traffic Control prevented a coordinated diversion to better weather.
- The landing gear position could not be confirmed due to the loss of electrical power.
- The nature of the landing surface (rape crop) was not correctly identified by the pilot due to poor visibility and the difficulty of identifying the crop type in the conditions.