The aircraft was approaching Dunkeswell Airfield, Devon after an uneventful flight from Fairoaks, Surrey. The weather at Dunkeswell was overcast, with rain. The pilot held an IMC1 rating but there is no published instrument approach procedure at Dunkeswell. As the aircraft turned onto the final approach, it commenced a descent on what appeared to be a normal approach path but then climbed rapidly, probably entering cloud. The aircraft then seems to have stalled, turned left and descended to “just below the clouds”, before it climbed steeply again and “disappeared into cloud”. Shortly after, the aircraft was observed descending out of the cloud in a steep nose-down attitude, in what appears to have been a spin, before striking the ground. All four occupants were fatally injured.
The investigation was unable to determine why the aircraft made the initial rapid climb but there was some evidence to suggest that the pilot may have manually overridden the autopilot, during the initial descent, without realising it was still engaged. This would have caused an out-of-trim condition that could have contributed to the aircraft pitching up rapidly. Evaluation flights showed that the pitch attitude achieved during this manoeuvre would have been disorientating for the pilot and may explain why control was not regained.
History of the flight
At approximately 0930 hrs, the pilot, who was the owner of the aircraft, telephoned Dunkeswell Airfield to let them know that he was planning to fly there and to enquire about the weather. He was informed by an air/ground radio operator that Dunkeswell had a 500 ft agl cloudbase, with rain. The radio operator recalled the pilot asking if the weather had been “coming and going in patches” and advising him that “it had been constantly raining throughout the morning”. The pilot replied that he would delay his departure and planned to arrive at Dunkeswell at about 1130 hrs.
The weather at Fairoaks Airport was good for flying with over 10 km visibility, and at 1041 hrs the aircraft departed for Dunkeswell. The flight proceeded uneventfully via the Southampton VOR, with the aircraft climbing progressively to an altitude of 5,000 ft amsl. At 1106 hrs, the pilot called Bournemouth ATC and was provided with a Traffic Service . Subsequently, he
requested a descent to 3,000 ft to “try and become visual”.
At 1113 hrs, ATC passed the pilot the following unofficial weather observation from Dunkeswell: “visibility to the north of the airfield is five kilometres, to the south-west its four kilometres, its overcast between eight hundred and a thousand feet, moderate rain, surface wind is one nine zero degrees twelve knots, their qnh one zero two four.” At 1117 hrs, the pilot reported he was going to “descend to two thousand feet to try and remain visual.” ATC advised him that on descending below 2,300 ft he would be “below the minimum terrain level” for the controller’s radar and would be responsible for his own terrain separation. At 1123 hrs, the pilot reported that he was VMC5 and was changing radio frequency, to speak
to Dunkeswell.
When contact had been established, the air/ground radio operator at Dunkeswell advised the pilot that Runway 22 was in use and provided him with the QFE pressure setting of 994 hPa and the circuit direction. The pilot informed ‘Dunkeswell Radio’ that he was intending to join left base for Runway 22 and subsequently requested a wind check. He was advised that the wind was from 220° at 16 kt. The last transmission the operator recalled hearing from the pilot was that he was joining “for a three mile finals to Runway 22”. After several minutes, during which the aircraft did not appear, the operator tried calling the pilot but there was no response. To establish if the aircraft had diverted to Exeter Airport, a radio was tuned to the Exeter Approach frequency. When the radio operator heard that a police helicopter was en-route to investigate reports of an aircraft accident to the north of Dunkeswell, he suspected that the aircraft had crashed.
Accident Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
WWSL Inc Trustee/Whitespace Work Software Ltd: http://registry.faa.gov/N186CB
14 CFR Non-U.S., Non-Commercial
Accident occurred Saturday, November 14, 2015 in Buttles Farm, Churchinford, UK, United Kingdom
Aircraft: PIPER PA 46 350P, registration: N186CB
Injuries: 4 Fatal.
The foreign authority was the source of this information.
On Novenber 15, 2015, about 1140 hours universal coordinated time, a Piper PA-46-350P, United States registration N186CB, impacted terrain near Buttles Farm, Churchinford, United Kingdom. The pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The flight departed the Fairoaks Airport, near Chobham, United Kingdom, and was en route to the Dunkeswell Airfield, near Honiton, United Kingdom.
The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). This report is for informational purposes only, and contains only information released by or obtained from the government of the United Kingdom.
Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from:
Air Accidents Investigation Branch
Farnborough House
Berkshire Copse Road
Aldershot, Hampshire
GU11 2HH, United Kingdom
Tel: +44(0) 1252 510300
Website: http://www.aaib.gov.uk
Email: enquiries@aaib.gov.uk
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Tech company director Phil Garvey, his wife Ann and two of their children Emily and Dan (pictured together) have been named as the family-of-four who were killed in a Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage plane crash in Somerset on Saturday.
Pilot Philip Garvey, 56, his wife Ann, 55, their daughter Emily, 23(far right) and son Daniel, 20 (far left), died in the incident which happened just before 11.45am on Saturday.
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Pilot Phil Garvey, 56, his wife Ann, 55, their daughter Emily, 23, and youngest son Dan, 20, died when their Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage aircraft crashed in heavy rain and high winds near Taunton.
The family had taken off from Fairoaks Airport in Surrey and were just seven miles away from their destination, Dunkeswell Aerodrome in Devon, when the aircraft ploughed into the ground.
Mr and Mrs Garvey, who were grandparents, had three older children, including a daughter Laura who is believed to live in the South West.
Today, she posted several pictures of her family on Facebook and wrote: 'We are absolutely devastated and love you all so much xxx'.
A spokesman for St Dunstan's Church said they were devastated at the deaths but did not wish to speak without the consent of the family.
Crash investigators are still examining the scene where the Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage aircraft came down.
The aircraft was built in 1990 and was registered as owned by Mr. Garvey's company, Whitespace Work Software Ltd.
Avon and Somerset Police said they would not be releasing a statement until tomorrow so the family had longer to come to terms with their loss.
Supt Richard Corrigan, from Avon and Somerset, said: 'Our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time.
'A joint investigation is under way with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch. The focus of the activity will be investigative enquiries and then recovery of the aircraft..'
In April last year, Mr. Garvey proudly posted a picture on his Facebook of his burgundy and white plane with the caption: 'Great to have her back after some maintenance work. Flying to see my Molly at the weekend. The only way to travel.'
He is understood to have bought the six-seater in August 2013 when he posted a photo of it and said: 'Got a new toy!! Just got to learn to fly it now!!'
Dan was believed to be studying English at Birmingham University.
- Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk
The four victims of a Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage crash have been named as a husband and wife and two of their children.
Pilot Phil Garvey, 56, his wife Ann, 55, their daughter Emily, 23, and youngest son Dan, 20, all lost their lives in the accident.
They had taken off from Fairoaks Airport, in Surrey, for Dunkeswell Aerodrome, in Devon, but crashed in heavy rain and high winds outside Taunton, Somerset, on Saturday.
The family lived in Woking, Surrey, and were members of St Dunstan's Catholic Church, where Mr. Garvey played the guitar during services.
Mr. Garvey, a company director, and his wife were grandparents and had three older children including a daughter, Laura, who is thought to live in the south west.
She posted several pictures of her family on Facebook and wrote: "We are absolutely devastated and love you all so much xxx"
Avon and Somerset Police said they would not be releasing a statement until Tuesday, so the family had longer to come to terms with their loss.
A spokesman for St Dunstan's Church said they were devastated at the deaths, but did not wish to speak without the consent of the family.
Crash investigators are still examining the scene where the Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage came down near Churchinford in the Blackdown Hills, south of Taunton.
The aircraft was built in 1990 and was registered as owned by Mr Garvey's company, Whitespace Work Software Ltd.
Supt Richard Corrigan said: "Our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time. A joint investigation is under way with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.
"The focus of the activity will be investigative enquiries and then recovery of the aircraft."
In April last year, Mr. Garvey posted a picture on his Facebook of his burgundy and white plane with the caption: "Great to have her back after some maintenance work. Flying to see my Molly at the weekend. The only way to travel."
He is understood to have bought the six-seater plane in August 2013 when he posted a photo of it and said: "Got a new toy!! Just got to learn to fly it now!"
- Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk
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