Spring failure caused aircraft crash

FAILURE of a spring on an engine valve has been blamed for the crash of a light plane owned by a Diggle company near Warrington last September.

The crash into a field wrecked the four-seater aircraft and injured the pilot and a passenger.

The Cessna Skyhawk - built in 1980 - ended up a crumpled wreck after hitting a tree during the emergency landing attempt.

The aircraft, owned by Dreamtrade Ltd of Marslands, Diggle, was on a flight from Leicester to Manchester.

An air accident investigation suggested initially that the pilot thought a loss of engine power was caused by a lack of fuel.

But investigation by mechanics revealed a valve spring on one of the cylinders had broken and the valve had dropped into the cylinder, leading to a significant loss of power - too little for sustained flight.

The aircraft was at 1,200 feet when the emergency began and the pilot made a mayday call to Manchester air traffic controllers.

He spotted a field to make an emergency landing, but as he approached he thought he might catch trees on the edge of the field and tried to pull out for a second try. The engine didn’t respond and the wing tip struck trees.

The pilot’s injuries were minor but his passenger suffered a complex knee fracture. Both managed to climb free.