What happened
On 26 November 2010, a Piper PA-38-112 Tomahawk, registration G-TOMS, departed Swansea on a private flight toward Sleap. While the initial flight conditions were clear, the pilot encountered snow and visibility that fluctuated between visual meteorological conditions and borderline marginal conditions. Despite weather forecasts predicting visibility between 20 and 40 km, the pilot encountered much more intense and widespread snow than anticipated.
In an attempt to avoid the storm, the pilot briefly turned east, but eventually became disoriented and descended to 3,000 ft to re-establish his position. During this descent, the ground appeared to rise toward the aircraft. When the pilot increased throttle to regain altitude and maintain terrain clearance, the engine failed to respond. The aircraft subsequently made a heavy landing in the Brecon Beacons, causing the airframe and engine to sustain severe damage and resulting in the aircraft pitching over onto its canopy.
The investigation
The investigation examined the pilot's actions and the mechanical state of the engine following the impact. The pilot, who did not hold an instrument rating, had relied on Met Office data that suggested manageable weather. The investigation looked into the potential causes of the engine's lack of response during the critical climb attempt.
Findings
- The pilot became lost due to the severity of the snowstorm, which led to a descent into terrain-proximate altitudes.
- The engine failure was likely caused by carburettor icing or a blockage of the air intake by snow.
- The pilot had been using carburettor heat, which may have inadvertently contributed to the icing issue.
- The aircraft's landing was steeper than a standard approach, contributing to the inversion upon impact.