Date:	Sunday 18 June 2017
Time:	18:00 UTC
Type:	Best Off SkyRanger 912S(1) Classic
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	G-ZADA
MSN:	BMAA/HB/446
Year of manufacture:	2006
Engine model:	Rotax 912ULS
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	River Alt, near Ince Blundell Airfield, Scaffold Lane, Formby -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Shobdon Airport (EGBS)
Destination airport:	Ince Blundell, Formby (X4IN/GB-0269)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
Written off (damaged beyond repair) 18 June 2017 when crashed into the River Alt, near Ince Blundell Airfield, Scoffold Lane, Formby, Liverpool. Following a high and fast approach, the aircraft landed further along the runway than planned and ran off the end of the grass runway into a river. According to the AAIB report into the accident:

"AAIB investigation to Skyranger 912S(1), G-ZADA
Overran runway while landing, Ince Airfield, Merseyside, 18 June 2017.

After departing from Shobdon Airfield at 17:00 hours, the pilot flew in company with two other aircraft to Ince where he had landed once before. The visibility was good, the wind was light and variable and the temperature was 20 degrees C when one of the other aircraft (also a Sky Ranger) led the trio overhead to Ince and into the left-hand circuit for grass Runway 36.

As the lead aircraft touched down, its pilot realised the right main wheel tyre had deflated, so he steered right, towards the edge of the dry, 20-metre-wide strip, and shut down the engine. After making a radio call to inform other aircraft, he and his passenger quickly climbed out and pushed the aircraft off the runway into an adjoining area of long grass.

The following aircraft was G-ZADA, but when the pilot turned onto final approach, he was higher than intended and with an airspeed of 70 mph instead of 60 mph. As he side-slipped his aircraft towards the 380 m long runway, he was satisfied that the aircraft ahead was clear of his landing path and, although he realised he was going to touch down further along the runway than he wished, he believed he still had sufficient landing distance.

However, the airspeed did not bleed off in the final stage of the approach as he expected, possibly because the aircraft’s fabric covering had recently been replaced, and he estimated that the speed was still 10 mph above the speed he intended at touchdown.

Once on the runway the pilot applied maximum braking but was unable to halt the aircraft before the end of the runway, where there is a steep river bank. The aircraft overran the runway and crossed over the shallow river, which was approximately 10 metres wide, before hitting the far bank and coming to rest. The occupants had no difficulty escaping from the aircraft but the passenger subsequently experienced chest pains and was later diagnosed to have fractured a rib."

=Damage sustained to airframe=
Per the AAIB report (see link #1) the aircraft sustained "Extensive damage, beyond economic repair"

Ince Blundell Airfield is located North West of Ince Blundell village, East of the A565, and approximately 2 nautical miles South East of Formby town centre.

1. Eye Witness Report
2. AAIB: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a3cc47240f0b64cbc26166c/Skyranger_912S_1__G-ZADA_01-18.pdf
3. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/G-ZADA.html
4. https://www.radarbox.com/data/registration/G-ZADA
5. https://www.wlms.co.uk/contact.html
6. https://airportguide.com/airport/info/AG5442
7. https://www.ukairfieldguide.net/airfields/Ince-Blundell
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Alt
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ince_Blundell

This Best Off SkyRanger 912S(1) Classic was built in 2006, and was first registered in the UK as G-ZADA on 11 October 2006, moving on to its 2nd owner on 7 June 2007, then its 3rd (current) owner on 30 August 2013.

As at 9 May 2023, G-ZADA had accumulated a total of 488 flying hours on the airframe. Despite the AAIB assessment that G-ZADA was damaged beyond economic repair, the registration was still current in May 2024

G-ZADA Best Off SkyRanger 912S(1) at North Weald, Essex 15 April 2018

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
21-Jun-2017 10:05	MerseyFlyer	Added
21-Jun-2017 14:41	Geno	Updated [Location, Destination airport, Source]
22-Jun-2017 17:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source, Narrative]
11-Oct-2017 12:26	Anon.	Updated [Aircraft type, Total occupants, Narrative]
11-Oct-2017 14:45	Anon.	Updated [Narrative]
12-Jan-2018 07:15	harro	Updated [Departure airport, Damage]
13-Jan-2018 20:28	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative]
30-May-2024 06:13	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Category]