Fatal Plane Crash Follows Aerodynamic Stall, Inquest Hears

An inquest has revealed that two men died when a plane entered a spin and subsequently collided with a shipping container at an airfield. The fatalities, identified as pilot Christopher Ingle of Cannock and passenger Graham Jones of Kidderminster, occurred at Otherton Airfield in Penkridge, Staffordshire, on June 4, 2023. Investigations determined that the incident transpired after their EV-97 EuroStar light aircraft underwent an aerodynamic stall, following an overly steep descent. A jury inquest, convened at the civic centre in Stoke-on-Trent on Wednesday, concluded that the deaths of the two individuals were the consequence of an accident. Testimony presented to the jury indicated that Mr. Ingle, a 56-year-old taxi driver, and Mr. Jones, aged 63, who worked as a driving instructor and warehouse operative, jointly owned the aircraft as part of a syndicate with an additional individual. Their planned flight path was southward from Otherton, the location where the plane was stored in a hangar, to a different airfield situated approximately 37 miles (60km) distant. Geraint Herbert, representing the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), stated that Mr. Ingle was considered a “relatively inexperienced” pilot, having accumulated 134 flying hours, with 30 of those hours “in command.” Mr. Herbert noted that the weather conditions were favorable on the day of the incident, and the aircraft’s take-off seemed normal as it ascended to approximately 740ft (225m). He further explained, “When Mr Ingle did his flights, he was known to do two practice landings before departing. In this case, when he turned back towards the airfield, he was higher than he should be [for a landing],” adding, “He turned in earlier than he would normally turn. We don’t know why he did that.” According to Mr. Herbert, the aircraft executed a right turn in the direction of the runway at an altitude of approximately 550ft (167m) above ground level, subsequently descending with a “steep nose-down attitude” and entering a spin. During the inquest, it was disclosed that the aircraft lacked a stall warning system, a device designed to notify a pilot of an impending stall, thereby allowing for corrective maneuvers. The jury was additionally informed that the crash occurred six seconds after the plane began its spin, with Mr. Herbert expressing doubt about the possibility of recovery in such a short timeframe. He further elaborated, “If people are not expecting it, they are going to be startled. There may be a delay before you take recovery action but in this case you can’t train for recovery action because spinning isn’t permitted.” Post-impact, the plane ignited, and the remains of the two men were retrieved from the debris. Testimony at the inquest confirmed that both individuals sustained multiple injuries and were declared deceased at the crash site. This report was compiled by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, an entity responsible for covering local government bodies and other public service organizations. For updates, follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available for review.