Lucky Escape For Pilot And Passengers
Image by Derek Ferris
A pilot saved the lives of five passengers and himself after his plane's single engine failed at 3000 feet after take-off from a Scottish airfield.
The experienced 55-year-old airman, who has not been named, put the plane into a glide and landed in long grass at Strathallan aerodrome near Auchterarder in Perthshire.
According to a report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch, it happened at midday on January 17th, when two con-rods failed, punching holes in the crankcase of the aircraft's piston engine and spewing oil over the windscreen.
The AAIB report, published on Thursday, said that while climbing in preparation to drop five parachutists, the engine failed at a height of 3,000 ft.
The pilot landed back on Runway 28 at Strathallen aerodrome, but the aircraft overran the end of the runway, travelling through a fence and hedge before coming to a stop.
The pilot and parachutists were uninjured.
The aircraft was operating a parachute drop at the airfield, with five parachutists onboard.
The takeoff from grass Runway 28 appeared normal, but as the aircraft reached 3000 ft, there was a sudden loss of engine power and increase in vibration, which was followed by oil appearing on the windscreen.
With vision still possible through the left side of the windscreen and having adopted a glide approach for a power-off landing back on Runway 28, the pilot told the parachutists to remain onboard as he considered this the safest option considering their relatively low height.
The aircraft touched down approximately halfway along its length, with about 320 metres remaining.
Realising that he may have difficulty in stopping the aircraft on the damp runway, the pilot turned the aircraft right onto a strip of longer grass adjacent to the runway in an attempt to increase the deceleration.
However it overran the end of the runway and went through a fence and hedge before coming to a stop.
The pilot and passengers exited the aircraft without assistance through the main door.
The lower front cowling, propeller, strut fairings and left side tailplane leading edge were damaged.