Introduction
On 26 May 2000 at 1833 hours, a Piper PA-28R-200-2, registration G-BCOP, experienced a total electrical failure while on a private VFR flight from Halfpenny Green, Shropshire, to London Manston Airport, Kent. The single-engine aircraft, manufactured in 1974, was forced to make an off-airport landing in a field of standing rape crop. The pilot, the sole occupant, was uninjured. The aircraft sustained damage to both wings, tail unit, and two of the three landing gear legs.
Flight History
The pilot departed Halfpenny Green at 1630 hours with a cloud base of 4,000 feet and good visibility permitting surface contact. En route, the weather deteriorated with increased shower activity. At Brookmans Park, the cloud base reduced to broken at 1,500 feet with scattered cloud at 300 to 400 feet. At 1748, the pilot established two-way communication with Manston, reporting position at Detling at 2,400 feet and an estimate for Manston 'on the hour'. Shortly after, Manston passed its 1750 weather: surface wind 140°/6 kt, visibility 3,000 meters in rain, cloud broken at 800 feet, broken at 3,000 feet, temperature +12°C, dewpoint +12°C, QNH 1002 mb, QFE 995 mb, runway 10 wet. In light of this, the pilot decided to abandon the flight to Manston and contacted Thames Radar with the intention of diverting to Southend.
Electrical Failure
While awaiting further instructions from Thames Radar, the pilot took up a heading for Detling VOR, as instructed, and noticed the off flags showing on both VOR receivers. She was unable to contact Thames Radar to check for a fault. It then became apparent that the aircraft had suffered a total electrical failure. Initially, the pilot considered climbing to a safe altitude and heading for Halfpenny Green, but she feared infringing controlled airspace in the busy environment en route. Still having surface visual contact and full control of the aircraft, she decided to carry out a field landing.
Forced Landing
The first two fields considered were rejected due to sheep in one and cables spanning the other. The third choice was a large field well away from the road with what appeared to be green stubble, which the pilot considered could have been a potato crop; identification was made more difficult by the deteriorating weather conditions. The aircraft was positioned for a landing and, with no indication that the landing gear was correctly lowered due to the electrical problem, the aircraft was lowered to the ground in the landing attitude. The aircraft was suddenly and violently spun through 180° and became enveloped in what turned out to be rape crop.
Aftermath
After the aircraft came to rest, the pilot turned off the fuel and exited through the normal door. Emergency services arrived on the scene approximately 20 minutes later.
Investigation
A previous instance of in-flight electrical failure had been reported by the owner and investigated by a maintenance organisation on 22 May 2000. With no apparent fault found, the owner was advised to monitor the system over the next few flights. The pilot concluded that the main cause of the accident was the total electrical failure in deteriorating weather conditions, with no means of communicating with ATC or flying safely to an area of better weather. No cause for the total electrical failure has been identified.