Aircraft and Flight Information
The aircraft involved was a Rand KR-2, registration G-DGWW, powered by a single HAPI Magnum 75 piston engine. Manufactured in 1992, it was being flown on a private flight from Liverpool (John Lennon) Airport. The commander, aged 64, held a Private Pilot’s Licence and had 658 hours of flying experience, none of which were on this type. He had flown no hours in the previous 90 days.
History of the Flight
The aircraft had been flown uneventfully for about 40 minutes by the owner prior to the accident flight. The owner briefed the pilot, who was about to fly the type for the first time, and mentioned experiencing carburettor icing during his flight. After refuelling to full, the pilot took off to assess the aircraft's general handling. En route towards Chester and clear of the Liverpool zone, he applied carburettor heat several times but noticed no icing effects. Once clear, he performed slow-speed manoeuvres with a low power setting and carburettor heat on.
Accident Sequence
After completing the manoeuvres, the pilot turned carburettor heat off and increased power. The engine ran rough and then stopped at approximately 1,300 ft amsl. The aircraft descended to about 900 ft before the engine was restarted. The pilot climbed back to 1,300 ft at full power and radioed Liverpool for clearance to return to the airfield. Moments later, the engine ran rough again; despite applying carburettor heat and leaning the mixture, it failed to respond and stopped. The altitude was then about 1,000 ft (or 700-800 ft agl). The pilot selected a field for a forced landing, and further restart attempts failed. He tightened his four-point harness.
As the aircraft approached the selected field, it clipped the top of a row of trees, causing it to pitch over and crash-land, coming to rest inverted just beyond the trees. The aircraft sustained extensive damage. However, the rear fuselage and a strengthening frame aft of the cockpit remained largely intact, creating a gap through which the pilot could exit. He vacated the aircraft with minor injuries, which he attributed to his harness and the local strengthening added during construction.
Post-Accident Observations
No detailed examination of the engine or engine systems was carried out. The pilot stated that he was aware of the potential for carburettor icing during the flight. The owner had added extra strengthening to the structure aft of the cockpit and to the four harness hard points.
Meteorological Conditions
The Meteorological Office assessed the conditions at the time of the accident. Temperature was about +3°C and humidity about 80%. Based on the CAA’s carburettor icing probability chart, the risk of carburettor icing was rated as 'Serious icing – any power'.