Elstree

The aircraft was on a private flight from Elstree to Shobdon in Herefordshire. The meteorological forecast indicated that a warm front was approaching Southern England from the south-west and conditions were generally deteriorating. The visibility on departure from Elstree at 1437 hrs was greater than 10 km with a broken cloud base at 2,500 feet. When the aircraft arrived at Shobdon the visibility was estimated to be 3 to 4 km in light drizzle with a cloud base at approximately 1,200 feet, and the surface wind was 090_/5 kt. The first radio contact between the aircraft and Shobdon was made at about 1502 hrs when the pilot called to say that he was inbound from Elstree. In response to this call he was passed the airfield details. The pilot later called when approaching Leominster and subsequently called downwind for Runway 09 which has a right-hand circuit. The operator of the ground to air radio facility at Shobdon saw the aircraft on the downwind leg abeam the tower at what appeared to be a normal circuit height. He did not observe the aircraft downwind but shortly afterward she heard a brief and indecipherable radio transmission which sounded like a scream. This same transmission was heard by an aircraft enthusiast who was monitoring the radio transmissions on his 'airband' radio. The radio operator repeatedly attempted to make contact with the aircraft but to no avail and so he instructed an aircraft refueller to inform the emergency services that an aircraft had crashed. Analysis of recorded radar data from the radar head at Clee Hill,Shropshire, indicates that the aircraft joined the downwind leg from the east at a height of 1,100 feet. This radar data shows that the aircraft then followed a normal ground track until towards the end of the downwind leg when there was an alteration of track to the left of about 20_ before the aircraft entered a right turn onto the base leg. At the same time as the aircraft altered track to the left it began a slow descent, at about 350 ft/min, from 1,100 feet to 600 feet, at which stage it disappeared below radar coverage. The average ground speed on the downwind leg was 112kt and this reduced to 100 kt as the aircraft descended. Two witnesses saw the aircraft in a position that equates to the base leg. The witness to the east of the aircraft track first heard the sound of an aircraft engine that was unusually loud and then saw the aircraft at an estimated height of 150 to 200 feet, it was descending slowly with the wings level. A loud "cough"from one of the engines was heard "as if it had backfired"followed by a puff of white smoke and then the sound of an engine increasing in RPM. The wings were then seen to rock from side to side as the aircraft went out of sight. The second witness,to the west of the aircraft track, described the aircraft flying very low, between 50 and 100 feet, and slowly descending. He saw that the wings were "wavering", the left wing then suddenly dropped until it achieved a bank angle of about 90_ at which stage the nose dropped and the aircraft disappeared behind some low trees and was heard to hit the ground. Some local farmers immediately went to the crash site. Initially there was no fire or smoke, but a small fire soon developed in the area of the right wing and this was quickly extinguished by the farmers.

The aircraft took off on the grass runway 06 with the P U/S in the left seat as handling pilot. The visibility was good, with high cloud cover, and wind recorded as from 060° to 080° at 20 to 30 knots, gusting to 35 knots. During the initial climb, PI simulated an engine failure, and after the touch drills and climb out were established, restored power to the 'failed' engine. The climb was continued to 2,500 feet and an engine failure was again simulated before an NDB approach was made to runway 33. P U/S then executed a single engined missed approach on completion of the let down, and entered the runway 06 circuit pattern. When at the downwind position he called 'downwind full stop'. The aircraft continued to the final approach with the simulated failed engine at a zero thrust setting of 120 feet lb torque and 1800 rpm. The P U/S stated that he had some difficulty in stabilising the approach and controlling the airspeed in the gusty conditions. At approximately 300 feet agl he was not satisfied with the approach and initiated a single engined go-around, raising gear and flaps. At some later stage PI took control and pushed the two throttle and rpm levers fully forward. P U/S remembers the aircraft entering a spiral descent to the left, and both pilots remember their evacuation of the aircraft. However, they have to recollection of airspeed, height, which engine was 'failed' on either occasion, or indeed the event which prompted PI to take control. The aircraft was seen to overfly the airfield in a north easterly direction with gear and flaps raised, and at a height variously estimated as between 100 and 300 feet agl. Just outside the airfield boundary the aircraft was seen to roll to the right then roll, or yaw and roll to the left and enter a spiral descent into an open field. The left wing tip struck the ground at an angle of 30° to the surface of the field, the aircraft then yawed left through 90° and slid and rolled a further 45 yards. It came to rest almost inverted and on its right side, with the detached left wing lying alongside the stub of the right wing. Both pilots were seriously injured.

Following an uneventful local flight, the twin engine aircraft crash landed at Elstree Airport. Both occupants were unhurt but the airplane was considered as damaged beyond repair. It was owned by Patrick Lowlor.

While flying at low height on an aerial photography mission, the twin engine aircraft hit the top of a hill and crashed near Kayl, south Luxembourg. Both occupants were killed.
Crew:
L. C. Sharling, pilot.
Passenger:
D. G. Darvell, photographer.

The crew was completing a test flight in Elstree Airfield. On final approach, during the last segment, the pilot in command stalled the aircraft that landed hard. On impact, the undercarriage collapsed and the aircraft came to rest on runway. While all four crew members were unhurt, the aircraft was written off.