History of the Flight
A student pilot, aged 38, with a total of 29 hours of flying experience (all on the Reims Cessna F152), was conducting solo circuits at Hawley Lakes, Hampshire, on 10 October 2009. He had completed five dual circuits with an instructor and was briefed to fly up to five additional circuits solo. During the downwind leg of the second circuit, shortly after completing the downwind checks, the engine rapidly lost power.
The pilot checked that the mixture, carburettor heat, throttle, magnetos, and master switch were correctly positioned. He closed and then fully opened the throttle, which produced a slight but short-lived resurgence in power. The pilot declared a MAYDAY with ATC and attempted to achieve the best-glide speed while selecting a suitable landing area. He considered returning to the airfield but believed he was too far away and was concerned that the approach would require two descending turns, increasing the risk of stalling and entering a spin. Instead, he chose an open area of heathland ahead.
The aircraft was too fast and too high, causing the pilot to overshoot the chosen landing site. He continued towards a second area of open ground separated from the first by a narrow gap between trees. As he attempted to fly through the gap, the aircraft collided with the trees, which brought it rapidly to a stop.
The aircraft was severely damaged, but the cockpit area remained intact. The pilot released his seatbelt and switched off the master switch, magnetos, and fuel switch before vacating the aircraft through his door. He sustained minor injuries.
Comments
At the time of the report, the aircraft’s operator had not been able to positively determine the cause of the loss of engine power. The student pilot faced a highly demanding situation at a very early stage of his training. He considered that the successful outcome was, in part, due to the advice he had received from his instructors regarding the hazards of attempting turns at low level after an engine failure and the importance of always flying the aircraft.