History of the Flight
On 28 August 2004, a Socata TB10 Tobago, registration G-BOIU, was flown from Guernsey to Bournemouth International Airport, landing at 0933 hrs. After landing, the aircraft backtracked on the runway and cleared onto a taxiway. At approximately 1018 hrs, the pilot requested clearance to start and taxi to the north side of the airport. The aircraft parked at 1025 hrs, and the pilot and two passengers entered a hangar to view other aircraft.
At 1046 hrs, the pilot requested engine start and taxi clearance for departure. The aircraft was cleared to the holding area on the north side of Runway 26. At 1053 hrs, the pilot reported ready for departure, and after receiving clearance, lined up and took off from the full length of Runway 26 at 1055 hrs.
Shortly after takeoff, the pilot radioed to Air Traffic Control (ATC) that he had a problem and was returning to land. The aircraft was observed entering a left turn at low height. During the turn, it began to descend and then impacted a fence just outside the airfield boundary. A severe post-impact fire ensued, from which only two of the three occupants escaped. The aircraft was airborne for approximately 40 seconds.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
G-BOIU was a four/five-place low-wing fixed-undercarriage aircraft with a single carburettor-equipped Lycoming O-360-A1AD piston engine driving a two-blade constant-speed propeller. It was fitted with electrically operated flaps. The aircraft was estimated to be operating within required weight and balance and performance limitations. The stall speed, as loaded with 10° of bank and 10° of flap, was calculated at about 60 kt.
The pilot, aged 54, held a Private Pilot’s Licence and had 1,456 flying hours, of which 1,310 were on type. He had flown regularly since obtaining his licence in 1993. He had owned a half share of the aircraft for many years and was familiar with Bournemouth Airport.
Meteorological Conditions
The weather observation taken immediately after the accident recorded surface wind from 200° at 7 kt, visibility 33 km, few cloud at 3,200 ft, scattered cloud at 5,000 ft, temperature 17°C, dewpoint 12°C, and QNH 1012 mb. The temperature/dewpoint spread placed the aircraft in the moderate risk of carburettor icing range according to the carburettor icing prediction chart.
Crash and Rescue
The aircraft initially climbed above Runway 26, then from a position about two-thirds along its length, began a left turn that continued until ground impact. The turn started within the airfield boundary, but the aircraft crossed low over the B3073 road south of the airport, then over an open grass field before striking wooden fence posts at the entrance to an amusement park. The aircraft slid a short distance across grass, then tipped up and caught fire upon striking a substantial hedge.
The pilot and the rear seat passenger were able to exit and clear the aircraft. Several people nearby assisted, helping them away from the burning aircraft. They were told one person remained inside, but were driven back by intense fire and heat. A fireman from the airport fire station deployed immediately and sprayed foam from a position across the road outside the airport boundary. Two further fire vehicles reached the accident site via the road. The fire was quickly suppressed, but the second passenger could not be rescued in time. The pilot and the escaping passenger suffered severe burns and were airlifted directly to a specialist hospital.
Recorded Information
ATC voice communications with the aircraft were recorded. Analysis of transmissions from the inbound flight and the accident flight did not reveal any detectable sound signal that might help identify the cause of the loss of performance.
Wreckage Examination
The wreckage distribution and ground marks indicated that the aircraft’s left wing initially struck the fence. The fuselage survived impacts substantially intact with no significant intrusions into the cabin interior except a localized region on the right side, in line with the instrument panel, where the cockpit side was pushed inward against the deceased passenger’s legs at about knee position. With the aircraft lying on its side, the right-hand cabin door was unusable.