Pilot ‘unable to recover from spin’ before crash
A pilot and his passenger died in a plane crash after failing to recover after performing an aerobatic maneuver, investigators said.
Matthew Bird, 21, from Spofforth, and Oliver Dawes, 24, from Burley in Wharfedale, died when their Cessna FRA150L crashed near Thorganby, between York and Selby, on the morning of July 28, 2024.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch report said pilot Bird began a “fully developed turn to the left” but was unable to unspool the wing after the manoeuvre, and crashed into a field.
He said the incident “underscores how unexpectedly difficult it can be to recover from multiple twists and turns.”
The crash prompted the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to talk to flight schools about safety when performing turning manoeuvres, the report said.
He said Bird had recently qualified for aerobatic flying and “it is possible that the spin recovery technique had not yet become a skill-based response.”
The incident occurred on July 28, 2024, near the village of Thorganby. [PA Media]
Investigators established that the aircraft took off from Breighton Airport at approximately 08:15 BST in good weather and that the pilot notified Humberside radar control.
He then began the maneuver that led to the accident around 08:45.
The last communication from the pilot was a call for help saying the plane was in an “uncontrolled spin,” the report said.
An examination of the aircraft after the incident revealed that there were no pre-existing malfunctions that would prevent the aircraft from operating normally.
The report stated that Bird started flying in January 2021 and has been flying frequently since April 2024.
“The pilot’s flight instructors described him as a particularly competent pilot with an enthusiastic and conscientious attitude towards flying,” the statement said.
The report noted that the Aircraft Flight Manual requires pilots to wear a parachute during aerobatic flight, but wearing a parachute is not a legal requirement and training providers suggest it is not common practice.
Neither Bird nor Dawes were wearing parachutes.
“Following this accident, CAA intended to introduce the safety awareness brochure and video on turn awareness and parachute use to flight schools,” investigators added.
They said CAA is considering expanding its curriculum to include psychological factors.
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