General Aviation Navigation Group

The Essex coroner has recorded accidental death verdicts at the inquest in Chelmsford, Essex, of the 3 who died in an air crash in Scotland last year; both pilots were over the legal drink limit.

The PA-28 Turbo Cherokee Arrow III crashed 9 NM south of Oban Airport, Scotland on 9 April 2007, killing all 3 on board.

The commander was planning to return to Andrewsfield Airfield, Essex, from Oban.  The weather was poor and the commander - who was not instrument-rated - declared that he would 'have a look at the weather' and return if not suitable.

The aircraft departed at 1035 and the Oban operator lost sight of it shortly thereafter due to the poor visibility as it headed W at approx 1,000 ft amsl.  The wreckage was discovered the following day in the hills, 9 NM S of Oban.

No technical fault with the aircraft was found apart from evidence of a pre-impact failure of the vacuum pump which would have caused the Attitude Indicator to become unreliable.

But the characteristics of the final flight path - particularly the high airspeed, the rapid descent and the rate of turn - were consistent with a loss of control following spatial disorientation in instrument conditions.

The formal report concludes that the vacuum pump failure, the commander’s lack of instrument flying training and his apparent high blood alcohol level, all contributed to the spatial disorientation.

The commander had 99 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood in his system and his daughter (co-pilot) had 48mg per 100ml.  The legal limit for flying is 20mg per 100ml (for driving it's 80mg).  The commander's medical certificate had also expired.

Details from the BBC and AAIB.