Date:	Sunday 15 January 2017
Time:	14:35 UTC
Type:	Piper PA-30-160 Twin Comanche
Owner/operator:	Montagu-Smith & Company Ltd
Registration:	G-ATMT
MSN:	30-439
Year of manufacture:	1964
Engine model:	Lycoming IO-320-B1A
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Aston Rowant Nature Reserve, Chiltern Hills, Oxfordshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Turweston Airport (EGBT)
Destination airport:	Chalgrove Airport (EGLJ)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
Piper PA-30-160 Twin Comanche G-ATMT was destroyed when it crashed on 15 January 2017 at Aston Rowant Nature Reserve, Chiltern Hills, Oxfordshire. The pilot (the sole person on board) was killed

The light aircraft is believed to have left Turweston Aerodrome, in north Buckinghamshire and then impacted the ground in Aston Rowant Nature Reserve, just over 30 miles south in the Chiltern Hills of Oxfordshire. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the sole pilot on board received fatal injuries. He was called Dave Norris. A Statement from Thames Valley Police said:

"Thames Valley Police officers were called at 2.35pm yesterday following reports that a light aircraft had crashed at Aston Rowant Nature Reserve. Officers arrived at the scene along with the ambulance and fire service. Sadly, the pilot of the aircraft, a man, has been pronounced dead at the scene His next of kin have been informed."

There were adverse weather conditions at the time in the Chilterns - low cloud, rain and fog. Discussions on the "Flyer Forum" (see link #6) speak of a CFIT (Controlled Flight into Terrain) due to the fog, quote "weather was really poor with cloud from ~400 feet AGL (actually 3 miles up the road from Turweston) all the way up to FL120 (forecast) and the 0 deg icing layer at 4,000-5,000 feet (forecast) with around 85-95% humidity. Above 4,000 feet, it was forecast for moderate icing and turbulence, with severe icing at 7,000 feet and above. Now unless you are flying something with serious anti-icing capabilities (engine, wings and tailplane) then it was not the day for flying..."

AAIB: see complete final report (link #1)
=Conclusions=
The aircraft was on a private flight from Turweston Airfield to Chalgrove Airfield and climbed to approximately 2,000 ft amsl after departure. Shortly after reaching 2,000 ft amsl, the aircraft descended to approximately 1,000 ft amsl and, at a point where a right turn would have been appropriate for a visual approach to its destination, turned left towards high ground which was in cloud. It was not determined when the aircraft transitioned from VMC to IMC but it was in IMC below MSA for at least 1 minute 45 seconds before flying into trees on the top of rising ground. It was not established why the pilot turned away from his destination or remained below MSA while flying in IMC.

Research suggested that, when there is a gradual deterioration of weather conditions from VMC to IMC, it can be difficult to identify when the boundary between the two has been crossed, and this might explain why VFR pilots sometimes enter IMC inadvertently. Information from the CAA showed that, after entering IMC inadvertently, some pilots do not climb to MSA. Although this seems inexplicable, given the risk of collision, research into human performance provides some insight:

a) When under stress, people tend to place a greater emphasis on positive outcomes when making decisions.
b) When conditions deteriorate gradually, cues suggesting that a course of action be abandoned often fail to change that course.

This indicates that, if intending to remain in VMC, it is better to anticipate the need to avoid the boundary between VMC and IMC than to fly towards it and, perhaps inadvertently, across it. CAA Safety Sense Leaflet 1e, "Good Airmanship", Leaflet 5e, "VFR Navigation", and Leaflet 23, "Pilots – It’s Your Decision", provide guidance for pilots operating VFR in the lower levels of Class G airspace and in poor weather.

The AAIB report confirms that G-ATMT sustained "extensive" damage; as a result, the registration G-ATMT was formally cancelled by the CAA on 8 September 2017 as "Destroyed"

1. AAIB Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/59c283e540f0b65db9b9ead1/Piper_PA-30_Twin_Comanche_G-ATMT_10-17.pdf
2. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-38629174
3. https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/437738/pilot-killed-after-plane-crashes-at-british-airfield/
4. https://www.bucksherald.co.uk/news/transport/pilot-dies-after-plane-crash-at-aston-rowant-1-7775530
5. http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/update/2017-01-16/light-aircraft-crash-reports-man-has-died/
6. https://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=102863&sid=600abc311b125b292fb1d7cc84f0c785
7. https://www.facebook.com/TurwestonTower
8. G-ATMT history 1966-1971: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-ATMT-1.pdf
9. G-ATMT history 1975-1979: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-ATMT-2.pdf
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aston_Rowant_National_Nature_Reserve

This Piper PA-30-160 Twin Comanche was built in 1964, and was first registered in the United States as N7385Y The aircraft was first registered in the UK as G-ATMT on 10 January 1966. After two owners as G-ATMT (from 10 January 1966 and then from 6 October 1970. G-ATMT was transferred to military markings as XW938 for evaluation by the A&AEE at Boscombe Down on 20 January 1971 (delivered to Boscombe Down 19 July 1971)

The aircraft was returned its original civilian markings as G-ATMT on 22 May 1975. The aircraft was re-registered to further successive owners on 22 August 1979, 21 March 1996, and the eighth (and final) civilian owner on 18 July 1996. As at 28 April 1996, G-ATMT had accumulated a total of 6187 flying hours on the airframe.

The AAIB report confirms that G-ATMT sustained "extensive" damage; as a result, the registration G-ATMT was formally cancelled by the CAA on 8 September 2017 as "Destroyed"

Other occurrences involving this aircraft


14 August 2011

G-ATMT

Montagu-Smith and Company Ltd

0

Maypole Airfield (EGHB), Hoath, Canterbury, Kent,

sub

Netherthope Airfield, Nottinghamshire, UK - 17th September 2008

Piper fatal accident, 15 Jan 17 https://t.co/WYpcBIi0hc pic.twitter.com/R86a2wwnEP

— AAIB (@aaibgovuk) 12 octobre 2017

G-ATMT: Piper PA-30-160 Twin Comanche at Hinton-in-the-Hedges, Northamptonshire,14 August 2016.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
15-Jan-2017 16:34	Geno	Added
15-Jan-2017 17:57	Aerossurance	Updated [Operator, Location, Nature, Narrative]
15-Jan-2017 18:00	Aerossurance	Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Narrative]
16-Jan-2017 16:58	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative]
16-Jan-2017 16:59	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Embed code, Narrative]
16-Jan-2017 17:01	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
16-Jan-2017 19:23	harro	Updated [Aircraft type]
16-Jan-2017 19:23	harro	Updated [Aircraft type]
16-Jan-2017 19:24	aviatoruk	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Location, Source, Narrative]
17-Jan-2017 16:50	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
17-Jan-2017 17:02	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Phase, Source, Embed code, Damage, Narrative]
12-Oct-2017 19:49	Iceman 29	Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
12-Oct-2017 19:52	Iceman 29	Updated [Embed code, Narrative]
12-Oct-2017 19:53	Iceman 29	Updated [Damage]
13-Oct-2017 00:35	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Embed code]
13-Oct-2017 00:35	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
13-Oct-2017 00:36	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Embed code]
13-Oct-2017 00:50	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
29-Jun-2020 12:48	Peter Clarke	Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Photo]
17-May-2024 07:42	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative, Category]