Date:	Friday 4 August 2017
Time:	11:06 UTC
Type:	Europa
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	G-BZTH
MSN:	PFA 247-12494
Year of manufacture:	2002
Engine model:	Rotax 912-UL
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Parsons Barn, Main Street, near Long Compton, Warwickshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Enstone Airfield (EGTN)
Destination airport:	Gloucestershire Airport (GLO/EGBJ)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
Europa G-BZTH: Following a loss of engine power, the aircraft force landed to a farm field at Parsons's Barn, Main Street, near Long Compton, Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire on 4 August 2017. As reported in the Stratford-upon-Avon Herald, 8 August 2017:

"An elderly man was lucky to escape serious injuries after crash landing his small aircraft in a field near Long Compton on Friday.

The 72-year-old pilot was forced to come down in a field close to Parson’s Barn on Main Street just after 1.15pm when the aircraft suffered engine failure. An ambulance and paramedic officer were dispatched to the scene, with the man suffering from back pain and cuts to his hands.

His injuries are not believed to be serious and he was transported to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford."

UPDATE: The official AAIB report into the incident was published on November 9, 2017, which confirms that the aircraft involved was indeed Europa G-BZTH. The report states the following:

"AAIB investigation to Europa, G-BZTH
Oil leak led to engine failure and forced landing in a field, Near Parsons Barn, Long Compton, Warwickshire, 4 August 2017.

The pilot was flying from Enstone to an airstrip near Gloucester in conditions of good visibility and with a westerly breeze. Approximately eight miles northwest of Enstone, at an estimated altitude of 1,900 feet agl, the engine failed and would not restart. The pilot selected a suitable field and managed to touch down at the point he aimed for.

After running along the ground a short distance, the aircraft decelerated violently and came to a halt. The pilot exited through his door and then noticed there were ground ridges which were not visible from the air. He had landed across the ridges and it was one of these that caused the deceleration and the damage to the aircraft.

Following recovery of the aircraft, the pilot discovered that the oil drain plug for the engine was missing and the engine had seized due to lack of lubrication.

Prior to the flight the pilot had changed the engine oil, with assistance from a friend. The oil had been drained and the aircraft left unattended before the engine was refilled with oil, and an engine run was carried out to check the oil pressure. No oil leak was seen after the engine run, but it appears the oil plug was not refitted correctly, possibly due to some miscommunication, and it became detached during the flight, allowing the oil to escape."

=Damage sustained to airframe=
Per the AAIB report "Forward fuselage distorted and fractured aft of firewall". It is not known if the airframe was repaired after this incident. G-BZTH was sold on to a new owner (the 2nd) on 19 December 2017. The new owner has an address in Almeria, Spain, and the registration has not been cancelled nor the airframe de-registered.

However, the Permit to Fly expired on 6 July 2018, and has not been renewed. Moreover, the airframe was the subject of an "no fly" declaration on 6 December 2021. Both are indicators that G-BZTH has not flown for quite some - probably since the incident at Long Compton on 4 August 2017

1. AAIB Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/59e9f27d40f0b61ab3d0885f/Europa_G-BZTH_11-17.pdf
2. Stratford-upon-Avon Herald, 8 August 2017: https://www.stratford-herald.com/news/plane-crashes-near-long-compton-9137497/
3. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/G-BZTH.html
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Compton

This Europa G-BZTH was built in 2002, and first registered (in advance, while under construction) as G-BZTH on 21 December 2000 to its first owner. As at 5 July 2017, G-BZTH had accumulated a total of 697 flying hours on the airframe.

Following the incident at Long Compton on 4 August 2017, G-BZTH was sold on to a new owner (the 2nd) on 19 December 2017. The new owner has an address in Almeria, Spain, and the registration has not been cancelled or the airframe de-registered. However, the Permit to Fly expired on 6 July 2018, and has not been renewed. Moreover, the airframe was the subject of an "no fly" declaration on 6 December 2021. Both are indicators that G-BZTH has not flown for quite some - probably since the incident at Long Compton on 4 August 2017

Plane crashes near Long Compton https://t.co/C6GXwUT9tE via @HeraldNewspaper

— Stratford Herald (@HeraldNewspaper) 8 août 2017

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
09-Aug-2017 15:13	Geno	Added
09-Aug-2017 15:30	Iceman 29	Updated [Time, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
09-Aug-2017 20:11	sharla82	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
09-Aug-2017 21:20	Aerossurance	Updated [Location, Narrative]
09-Aug-2017 23:29	Geno	Updated [Cn, Operator, Source]
10-Aug-2017 16:29	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Nature, Narrative]
19-Aug-2017 11:18	Aerossurance	Updated [Location, Phase, Narrative]
10-Nov-2017 22:07	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Date, Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
10-Nov-2017 22:09	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Departure airport]
10-Nov-2017 22:09	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Registration]
09-Jun-2024 06:00	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category]