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81-year-old pilot in lucky escape after Inverness plane crash lands in Aberdeenshire

Inverness Airport
Inverness Airport

An 81-year-old pilot had a lucky escape when the light aircraft he was flying crashed into a fence and landed on its roof.

The Druine D62A Condor aircraft was approaching Insch Airfield when the crash landing took place.

The pilot, who had 740-hours of flight experience, had been flying solo from Inverness Airport.

An Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) report has now been published into the incident, which happened at 12.35pm on April 18.

It states: “The pilot was carrying out a flight from Inverness Airport to Insch Airfield.

“The weather was good, with a light and variable wind and visibility in excess of six miles.

“There were few clouds, with a base at 2,000ft at Inverness, increasing to 3,500ft at Insch.

However, it was during the pilot’s descent that things started to go badly wrong.

The report states: “On arrival at Insch, the pilot positioned the aircraft to join the left-hand circuit for Runway 13.

“He descended from 1,500ft and lowered full flap during the crosswind leg.

“As the aircraft turned left onto the downwind leg, it stalled, the left wing dropped and it descended rapidly to the left.

“There was insufficient height to recover and the aircraft struck a stock fence, coming to rest inverted.”

Airfield personnel rushed to the scene and helped the pilot to free himself from the wreckage.

Although he received immediate medical assistance, he was found to be uninjured.

An Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot, concluded “that he had lowered full flap earlier than usual and had allowed the speed to decay during  the left turn leading to the stall and wing drop”.

He also said the aircraft had a tendency to drop a wing when stalled, with full flap, at about 36-38 knots.

According to the report, the aircraft suffered “extensive damage” to the wings and forward fuselage. Its engine also shock-loaded.

Insch airfield, which is home to Grampian Microlight Flying Club, is a private unlicensed airfield two miles south-west of the Aberdeenshire village of Insch.