London plane crash caused by loss of engine power – investigation

A “loss of engine power” caused a light aircraft to crash in woodland in east London last year, an investigation has found.

Emergency services attended the scene near Damyns Hall Aerodrome in Upminster on 4 April 2023.

Two people were taken to hospital with serious injuries.

An investigation by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) found a loss of engine power could have been caused by old rubber couplings, which are used to connect the carburettor to the engine.

The carburettor is a device for supplying a spark-ignition engine.

The AAIB said during take off, the aircraft did “not climb as expected”.

When the plane was at 300 ft (90m), the pilot then “identified that the engine was not developing full power”.

It added: “With insufficient height or speed to return to the runway, and no suitable landing sites immediately available, the pilot attempted to remain airborne.

“The engine then stopped, the aircraft stalled and entered a spin before striking the ground.”

An inspection found there were no issues with the engine during a service carried out in January 2023.

It found the engine manufacturer’s manual for the engine said the coupling had a 1,000 hour or five-year life.

However, inspectors said there was no evidence that the coupling had been replaced since the aircraft had been built in 2006.

Two safety recommendations have been made to the Civil Aviation Authority as a result.

The first is to mandate a life limit for the carburettor coupling, and also to consider mandating a life limit for similar components used on other engine and aircraft types.