Corrosion blamed for plane accident; Pilot says he will take legal action.Byline: Sam Wood TWO pilots who miraculously cheated death when the tail of their microlight microlight or microlite Noun a very small private aircraft with large wings microlight n → ultraligero microlight n fell off at 1,000ft have been told the accident was caused by corrosion. Air Ambulance air ambulance Emergency medicine A helicopter or, less commonly, a fixed wing aircraft, used to evacuate a person who requires immediate medical attention that cannot be provided at his/her current location pilots Jim Martin and Jon Ker were flying their jointly owned aircraft from Longframlington to Eshott airfield, Northumberland, when the accident happened on December 30, 2007. Mr Martin, 50, of Hexham, last night said he was taking legal action against the aircraft manufacturer. His quick thinking saved the pair as he grabbed the controls and deliberately crash-landed the plane into trees at Burgham Park Golf Course near Felton. Both were seriously injured and had to be pulled from the wreckage. They were in hospital for months after the accident and are still recovering. An Air Accident Investigation Branch report published yesterday put the blame on stress corrosion. It said wreckage examined by experts revealed bolts which attached the tail to the rest of the plane had failed and that there was evidence of corrosion. Reacting to the report last night, Mr Martin said: "I'm relieved that is what has been found. I checked the tail before we set off on that flight and could see nothing wrong. The corrosion was covered up by paint, there was no way I could have known. "It is a relief to know that I'm not to blame or that someone else didn't damage the aircraft. "That tail had only flown for about 80 hours and they are supposed to last for the lifetime of the aircraft. That was what caused the crash." The AAIB report states: "The weather conditions were suitable and the flight conditions were good with perhaps some light turbulence. Given that the aircraft was joining the circuit to land when the accident occurred, the loads on the tailplane tailplane Noun a small horizontal wing at the tail of an aircraft to help keep it stable Noun 1. tailplane - the horizontal airfoil of an aircraft's tail assembly that is fixed and to which the elevator is hinged are unlikely to have been excessively high at this point. "Without any warning, the tailplane detached from the aircraft and control was lost. "The pilot attempted to guide the aircraft towards the trees although there was little or no effective control. The aircraft then descended through the trees, a factor which probably reduced the severity of the final impact and made the accident survivable sur·viv·a·ble adj. 1. Capable of surviving: survivable organisms in a hostile environment. 2. That can be survived: a survivable, but very serious, illness. ." At the time of the crash Mr Martin said: "I heard a loud bang and looked round. I saw the tail fall off and thought I was going to die. "For 10 seconds we were in a nosedive nose·dive n. 1. A very steep dive of an aircraft. 2. A sudden, swift drop or plunge: Stock prices took a nosedive. Noun 1. heading straight down to the ground. I had no control and I thought we were going to crash." It is a relief to know I'm not to blame or that someone didn't damage the aircraft CAPTION(S): RELIEF Jim Martin from Hexham survived the crash. |
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