What happened
On 18 January 2012, a Piper PA-31-325 Navajo C/R, registration G-BWHF, was conducting a private re-familiarisation flight from Welshpool Airport. The commander, an experienced pilot, was accompanied by a second pilot with recent experience on the aircraft type. After departing the airfield, the aircraft climbed through a thin layer of stratus cloud and established on a left-hand downwind leg for Runway 22.
As the crew configured the aircraft for landing by deploying flaps and lowering the gear, the aircraft entered a descending turn. During this maneuver, the aircraft struck the tops of pine trees on the upper slope of Long Mountain. The impact caused the aircraft to break up and subsequently impact a grass field, where a significant post-crash fire occurred. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and conducted a flight trial using a similar aircraft type to assess pitch characteristics. Radar data from Clee Hill tracked the aircraft's descent and turn toward the accident site. Meteorological data indicated that while visibility was relatively good, a layer of cloud covered the upper portions of Long Mountain, potentially obscuring the terrain from the crew.
An engineering examination of the engines and propellers found no evidence of mechanical failure prior to the impact. The investigation also looked into the possibility of a jammed elevator, though fire damage prevented a definitive conclusion. A flight trial established that applying nose-up trim on a similar aircraft would actually result in a nose-down pitch if the control column were released.
Findings
- The aircraft struck trees on the crest of Long Mountain while descending.
- The trees were likely obscured from view due to the cloud layer covering the upper slopes.
- The crew may have misjudged their height above the terrain or attempted to reduce altitude while entering the cloud.
- The aircraft entered cloud cover that obscured the rising terrain.