Fatal plane crash near Bagby likely caused by 'rare' aircraft malfunction
The pilot, a man in his 20s, died in the crash
A report, published today (26 June) by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), has revealed details of a fatal aircraft crash near Bagby Airfield, North Yorkshire.
North Yorkshire police, along with the fire service and ambulance teams were called to reports that a light aircraft had come down in a field near to the Thirsk area, on 6 July 2023.
The pilot, a man in his 20s and the only person onboard at the time, died in the crash.
According to the AAIB, the aircraft had earlier completed a round trip from Bagby to Deauville, France, where it picked up five passengers, delivering them safely to Ireland.
Radar and CCTV evidence then showed the aircraft approaching Bagby normally.
However, the video footage captured a sudden steepening of the descent angle, followed by a sharp nose-down plunge.
'catastrophic'
A post-crash fire destroyed much of the physical evidence, but investigators found no mechanical faults in the remaining wreckage that could clearly explain the sudden dive.
However, they did note an unusual pitch trim setting, which was inconsistent with the aircraft's speed and configuration during approach.
While this anomaly suggested a potential pitch trim runaway, investigators cautioned that it may also have occurred during the crash sequence itself.
Despite the uncertainty, the AAIB concluded that a pitch trim runaway, a rare but dangerous malfunction, was the most likely cause.
However, there was insufficient evidence to determine that it was the definitive cause of the accident.
The report emphasised that such malfunctions, though infrequent, can be catastrophic when they occur at low altitude, giving pilots minimal time to respond.
As a result of the investigation, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has committed to eight safety actions aimed at reducing the risk of pitch trim runaway incidents. These include:
- Enhancing pilot training to respond to pitch trim runaway events
- Requiring deactivation of inoperative autopilots
- Improving visibility of autopilot and electric trim circuit breakers
- Clarifying differences training requirements across aircraft models