What happened
On 29 June 2011, a X’Air Falcon 133(2), registration G-CEDO, was performing a private flight from a private airstrip in Usk, Gwent. After completing standard pre-flight inspections, the pilot commenced the takeoff. Shortly after reaching an altitude of approximately 100 to 150 feet, the engine suffered a loss of power.
Because the aircraft was operating near power lines, the pilot's options for an emergency landing were restricted to an adjacent field containing crops roughly 1.8 meters in height. During the attempt to land in this field, the pilot chose to stall the aircraft as it made contact with the tops of the crops. The impact caused damage to the aircraft's pod assembly and landing gear. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
Investigators examined the engine to determine the cause of the power loss. The inspection revealed that a rocker arm, which is responsible for operating the inlet ports on one of the cylinders, had failed. Because the engine utilized a twin-cylinder configuration, the loss of this component meant the remaining operational cylinder could not produce enough power to sustain flight at the existing altitude.