What happened
On 15 January 2010, a Piper PA-31P Pressurised Navajo, registration N95RS, was involved in an occurrence at Bladon, Oxfordshire. At the time of the event, the pilot was actively engaged in training duties, having served as a training captain on Boeing 737-800 aircraft for an airline. In the three days preceding the accident, the pilot had been conducting training for new pilots in the jumpseat of a Piper Seneca.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation examined the qualifications and recent flight history of the pilot. It was established that the pilot had recently completed a Multi-engine Piston (MEP) rating course in November 2009, which included approximately 93 hours of pilot in command time. Following this course, the pilot had undertaken roughly four hours of dual training in a Piper Seneca while working toward an IMC rating.
Additionally, the investigation looked into the experience of the passenger, who was a qualified private pilot with a PPL(H) obtained in March 2009. While the passenger regularly operated a Robinson R44 helicopter, no logbook records were available to verify his recent general aviation flying experience.
Findings
- The pilot was a highly experienced airline transport pilot, though his recent experience specifically with the Piper PA-31P Pressurised Navajo was limited to his recent MEP course and subsequent dual training.
- The pilot's recent flying activity primarily consisted of instructional duties in a Piper Seneca aircraft.