A system that was good enough for short local area flights with gliders made it impossible to determine that the pilot and plane were overdue, in the first instance and then left search and rescue teams with no way to organise useful ground or aerial searches. The heat muffler had deposits of lead and bromine on the heater mufflers exhaust, left behind by the high octane fuel fumes which had seeped through the cracks into the heater system. Travelling at 60-70 miles per hour (96-112 kmh), it impacted nose first, almost vertically. It slammed almost vertically into the ground killing professional airline pilot Peter instantly at an estimated 150mph. He was not rated for night flying or for instrument flight. An inquest will be opened and adjourned at a later date. The accident happened on April 26 last year and resulted in the death of 68-year-old Alan Purnell, an experienced glider pilot from Fleet. J+IM+Wiqy[QiG"|_TJe~sgX]]`K>v#M88OF At 12:12, an eye witness saw the Super Cub flying low over the tunnel and into the valley, following the line of the tracks. This combination of low flying and increased engine worried the witness, who noted that the time was 12:12 exactly. The tops of the pylons carrying the cables are at 575 feet above mean sea level. British pilot is killed as his glider slams into a rocky hillside at 150mph after 'deadly spin' during solo flight on his 60th birthday in South Africa Peter Reading, from Godalming Surrey was. In early 1951, he ordered Major Deane-Drummond to restart the club at Lasham. A spokesperson for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire Service said: "Firefighters from Basingstoke and Alton station were called to the airfield of local flying club in Alton at 15:59 on Monday 20th September 2021. LGS's 90+[6] instructors train new pilots at all stages from ab initio through to competitive cross-country flying. Lasham Youth run a Saturday Evening gliding course during the summer months which is open to everyone, providing an environment where young members can fly with people of similar ages. 'We don't fully know what happened but something went very wrong. Another riveting write-up, thank you, Sylvia! The railway runs south from Petersfield through the Buriton railway tunnel below high ground of about five hundred feet above mean sea level and then south through the valley, with hills reaching 650 feet above mean sea level. A man has died after the glider he was piloting crashed into a field in West Sussex. ), This page was last edited on 18 April 2023, at 07:44. LASHAM Gliding Society has paid tribute to one of its key members, killed when his glider crashed into a rocky hillside in South Africa. Both of these reports stated that theyd seen the aircraft around noon. 'The accident is currently under investigation by the South African Civil Aviation Authority and the provincial police. During the subsequent landing, the glider touched down hard and a ground loop incident occurred. www.lashamgliding.com / 01256384900 See more. A busy day of glider launching at Lasham. The Super Cub had dived into the forest with a westernly heading, the nose and the port wing at an angle of 70 down. In the front seat was a 25-year-old private pilot with 94 hours flight time, of which 31 had been on Super Cubs, towing gliders for the Society. He continued to investigate this in the context of smuggling operations using personal aircraft and wrote a report on the subject for the British police department known as Special Branch. But Ive just finished first-time author John Lancasters The Great Air Race: Glory, Tragedy, and the Dawn of American Aviation (about a cross-country-and-back demo/race set up by Billy Mitchell in 1919), which says that airdrome was used for fields that were relatively near communities (rather than just being convenient to the route between Long Island and San Francisco). An aerodrome therefore is a place, usually licensed for public flight operations, mostly in the form of (light) private aviation. In the end, the US Army purchased around 700 of the L-18C with another 156 going to other nations for military use. I completed my first solo cross-country flight in weather conditions that were no better, over the Nigerian jungle. We don't know what happened yet. On Tuesday, the 31st of August, the details of the missing flight was featured in local newspapers and broadcast on television. We also have the use of a caravan for accommodation and cooking facilities, and a seperate workshop - all free of charge. Flybe airline captain Peter got into difficulties as he tried to climb and is believed to have stalled the glider and gone into a deadly spin and was unable to pull up the nose before crashing. I see field being used for any size of landing area that doesnt have major scheduled services, e.g. Eye witnesses said he got into difficulties shortly after take-off and it is thought the glider stalled due to lack of speed and it went into a deadly spin heading earthwards. B>CO?8`X`H2l53|js;:]r6:8ous%%3G&"#]ExKTeWl^3`y~kza,qqAtw9Zfzhp}Vb%hesmg!m|%g1gV]fQ:!|TmkA^4`/ES>^.yBy&wH There was nothing obviously wrong with the aircraft, other than the filler cap to the port fuel tank was missing. [8] There were approximately 59,000 aircraft movements (departures and landings) in that year (compared with Southampton Airport's 43,350). The aircraft, which was not equipped for instrument flying, went into cloud when taking action to avoid power cables while flying low in poor visibility and subsequently went out of control. Staying just under the cloud base, he again turned left but this time the aircraft didnt join the circuit but continued flying south. The previous day he had taken Ingrid, 59, up in a two seater glider for a flight over the wild African Karoo and South Africa's biggest dam near Norvalspout in the Free State. All Rights Reserved. 2 Comments 2 Shares. That is why I needed so many words to describe them. The runway, or unpaved landing area itself is typically no more than 1000 metres long. [16], The airfield occasionally provides storage for redundant aircraft. 84 Group Disbandment Centre (1945-?? His total flying time was not really great, not enough to embark on a cross-country flight in very marginal weather 2 Group RAF, part of the RAF Second Tactical Air Force. This caused severe damage to the tail and left wing. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. In the back seat was a non-pilot friend. Copyright 2021 Lasham Gliding Society, Anonymous Lasham Airfield Accidental Damage Report, FEB 2022 Airspace in .cub format for Oudie and LX (right click to save). If there were exhaust gases in the cockpit, then the decision-making skills of the pilot could have been strongly impaired. One glider crashed on the airfield with two persons on board. A Hampshire police spokeswoman said: "Kay Draper died when the glider she was piloting came down in a field. All of the staff had already left for the day and the person who answered the phone wasnt able to help. Although, who am I to write that? "If any safety issues are identified, we may issue safety recommendations intended to prevent similar accidents in the future. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to The exhaust unit had been pressure tested in May and visually examined in June and again in August. Company registration no: IP15094R VAT Reg No: 818 2876 00 Privacy Statement| Terms of Use 'Our thoughts at this stage are with Peter's family.' I agree. The following units were here at some point:[1]. In the front seat was a 25-year-old private pilot with 94 hours flight time, of which 31 had been on Super Cubs, towing gliders for the Society. It amazes me that a lot of us that learned to fly in the 60s survived long enough for the ink to dry on our Pilots Certificate. Each aircraft had a log in which the pilots noted all flights, which was handed into the office at the end of the day. British glider pilot dies in 150mph cliff crash while celebrating 60th birthday Peter Reading, 60, of Surrey was enjoying a romantic gliding holiday in South Africa with his wife Ingrid, 59,. They said that the aircraft was visibly rocked by turbulence but didnt appear to be in difficulty. VAT Reg No: 818 2876 00 The Chairman of Lasham Gliding Society where Peter was a member said that his passing would leave a huge gap in the gliding community. contact the editor here. They found nothing. Regular visitors were DH104 Dove G-APZU (04511), Douglas Dakota G-AMPO (16437/33185), G-AMHJ (13468), G-AMPZ (16124/32872), G-AMRA (15290/26735), G-AMSV (16072/32820) They contacted the Coastguard and other ships asking for any sightings of the aircraft. At the last minute, he saw the cables in his path and pitched up steeply while increasing the engine power. Between 1972 and 1974 Lasham airfield regularly hosted six Douglas DC3 Dakotas owned by Roger Byron-Collins' Macedonian Aviation based at Southend airport for care and maintenance and resprays under arrangements with Dan-Air. Two witnesses on the ground appear to have seen the glider as the accident occurred. At the same time, the duty flying instructor realised that G-AYPN was not in the hangar and there was no record of it being used elsewhere. Cq`cJfXd8/tP yi'l zOq On the 28th of August in 1971, G-AYPN departed Lasham Gliding Society and disappeared. The crash happened at approximately 7-30 pm and a call was made to the emergency services at 7-36 pm. 'We don't know exactly what happened but it would seem he was flying too slow and lost lift on a wing and stalled and he went into a spin and spiralled down into the hill. That day, the cloud base was about 600 feet above mean sea level with a light drizzle. The accident happened during a solo flight on November 19 - Peter Reading's 60th birthday. 4 3X/m|6&qhjzP#W$Ev =_J TM%kPM`l@73azINzc9ec+A`Rn>Y(}8Su#LFa9GswPz!iTLG8"h#jq*3LdkAw]Tf,_*{B/eZoYhl-k}j3#S2Qt3#X U*kKiM?L=-)Yq7e8|1z9))7} It definitely came up during a phone conversation on the 3rd or 4th of September, but that was as a secondary detail, not the point of the phone call. After the war, it became the home of the Army Gliding Club. Since then, it had flown a total of seven hours flight time. On 14 September 2006, a memorial at the entrance was dedicated to those who served at Lasham between 1942 and 1948. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, 1st Floor, Chartist Tower, Upper Dock Street, Newport, Wales, NP20 1DW Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. Unsubscribe at any time. 'They are thinking about flying out there. Your email address will not be published. There were a small number of pilots who flew the aircraft on behalf of the club. He was devoted to his poodle cross, Dougle. No one ever thought to mention that, at the time of both reports, there were two Super Cubs missing. Also displayed were photographs and other details of aircraft and personnel of the squadrons that flew from Lasham and are listed below. I suspect that once you get away from centers of population (into the less-settled areas where private flying is a useful way to get from place to place), a lot of more-careful practices become less common; some of the experiences above seem completely alien to my flying days, which were based just outside Boston. "Crews supported South Central Ambulance Service with the extrication of one male from the glider he is now in their care. Southampton axe throwing venue now open at the Marlands Shopping Centre, The best axe throwers could go on to compete for the title of UK champion, Southampton's Armel Bella-Kotchap makes honest Newcastle admission amid Jan Bednarek point, Southampton's winless run in the Premier League stretched to nine games after Newcastle United came back from a goal down to claim a 3-1 win at St James' Park on Sunday, Hampshire walks perfect for the whole family this bank holiday weekend, Every word Ruben Selles said on Newcastle, Che Adams decision, Paul Onuachu and Romain Perraud, Newcastle United came from behind on Sunday to beat Southampton 3-1 at St James' Park and push Ruben Selles' side closer towards relegation to the Championship, BBC pundit proved wrong on relegation battle amid Bournemouth, Forest and Southampton verdicts, Southampton are bottom of the Premier League table and six points from safety after a 3-1 defeat against Newcastle United, with relegation looking increasingly likely, Alan Shearer pinpoints what made the difference for Newcastle United against Southampton, Southampton lost out 3-1 against Newcastle United at St James' Park, despite leading 1-0 at half time after Stuart Armstrong's goal in the first half for Saints, Ruben Selles confirms major Southampton blow amid Romain Perraud injury update, Romain Perraud limped off in the first-half of Southampton's 1-0 defeat against Bournemouth in midweek and was not included in the matchday squad for Sunday's 3-1 loss at Newcastle United, Man arrested after chasing another man with a knife in Southampton, Officers are keen to identify the man who was being chased, 12 of Airbnbs quirkiest places to stay in Hampshire, There are a number of quirky options across Hampshire, Data reveals 30,000 broken streetlights in Hampshire as Lib Dems blame 'chronic underfunding', Data revealed by the Lib Dems shows more than 200,000 were reported broken across the country, Where in Hampshire people are most likely to be burgled - interactive map shows crime hotspots, Homes in Southampton are 'more likely to be targeted' by burglars than any other area in the county, B&M to open Camberley store near Hampshire border in former BHS unit, The store will open in Princess Way, Camberley on June 24, Three men handed life sentences for murder of Southampton teenager Dawid Such, Dawid's mother said in court that her days "begin and end with crying" following her son's death, Over 50 firefighters battle Newbury school fire on the Hampshire border, Due to the amount of smoke in the area, local residents were asked to keep windows and doors closed, Two men died from carbon monoxide poisoning onboard boat in marina, An investigation found that no carbon monoxide alarm was fitted to the boat, Hit and run car mounted kerb on Totton High Street leaving pedestrian with serious head injuries, Joshua James Wallace sold the car on the same day and police found it in a scrapyard. Prevailing south-westerly winds from the Atlantic Ocean. Somewhat relieved, the Society officials considered that perhaps the pilot had simply borrowed the aircraft for the weekend without asking permission. The pilot of the other glider - 45-year-old Graham Robertson from Ascot - managed to parachute from his plane to safety. As well as Tony Deane-Drummond, other notable instructors at that time included Ann Welch, Lorne Welch and Philip Wills. However, the Society were not required to keep a record of tug movements and they did not do so. Guy Reading, 28, and his sister Gemma, 26, are 'in a state of shock' after hearing the news of their father's tragic death, according to friends. Very interesting, well researched, thank you for another great blog post Cynthia. Lasham Gliding Society (LGS) was established in 1958 to unify operations of the gliding clubs that had been operating since 1951. The police had the task of filtering through these sightings and following up on those that seemed signicant. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Highly experienced Peter was on his ninth day of pleasure flights during a gliding holiday with wife Ingrid when tragedy struck as he went up to fly alone. One clearing pass to see there were no cars on the road, taxi up into the parking lot of the Baptist Church and it was only a 2 block walk to grandmothers house. "PrI@f`X,mPG U [17] Six bmibaby 737s arrived in 2012 when the airline closed. From the 1960s to 1980s, Lasham hosted a number of unusual aircraft notably one of only two surviving Avro Yorks (G-ANTK in Dan-Air colours) and was the resting home of aircraft from around the world which came to be scrapped, including most of the old Comet 4 fleet. Autumn came and the leaves began to fall. He was also a qualified glider pilot. Still, it seems odd for the pilot to have continued the flight in the first place. [3][4] In mid-1943, the airfield was transferred to RAF Fighter Command. This caused severe damage to the tail and left wing. Lasham Gliding Daily Flying Briefing on Wednesday the 18th of January 2023. ", Kay Draper was flying solo on a trip from Lasham Airfield in Hampshire, The glider, powered by a small back-up engine, had come down in a cornfield near to Southwood Farm field breaking into piece. It operated at Odiham Airfield, but after two accidents, the Commandant of Sandhurst ordered it to suspend operations. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's A subsequent aerial search showed that the wreckage could not be seen from the sky and would not be visible until most of the leaves had fallen. Stealth pun, Something definitely not correct here!!!! endstream endobj 33 0 obj <>stream He was also a qualified glider pilot. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. But they were dismissed as having occurred before the aircraft had departed. hb``d``*``a`0 |@1V p_LLDJ D -`y:(q?JL Police were also informed. The only control was the verbal agreement from an official, with no paper trail. He has been taken to Basingstoke Hospital, a spokesperson from Hampshire Fire and . Lasham Gliding Society Registered address: Lasham Airfield, The Avenue, Alton, Hants, GU34 5SS, Registered in England. Inaya-Lei has links to Eastleigh, Basingstoke and Southampton. I dont think Ive ever heard/seen airdrome/aerodrome used outside of historical descriptions although this may be biased by my being relatively urban. Lasham Gliding Society Registered address: Lasham Airfield, The Avenue, Alton, Hants, GU34 5SS, Registered in England. You can also subscribe without commenting. Police confirmed work was already underway involving the Air Accident Investigation Branch, based at Farnborough, to find out more details. Firefighters from both Basingstoke and Alton were called to the scene and crews from South Coast Ambulance Service (SCAS) and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance also attended. Th airfield was built on farming land in 1942 as a Royal Air Force Station during the Second World War. Their father Peter, a top British glider pilot, was killed when his aircraft slammed into a rocky hillside at 150mph whilst celebrating his 60th birthday with a solo flight over the plains of South Africa. It later signed a long lease on the airfield from the Ministry of Defence. Photos by Serena Lambre Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. The airfield's boundaries were reduced but it still occupies over 500 acres (200 ha). The South African Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that a fatal glider accident occurred near Gariep Dam on Monday morning and that it is being investigated. [15] New owners of ATC Lasham Ltd, 2Excel Engineering Ltd, signed a new lease with the Society on 23 December 2015 and have continued to maintain large jet aircraft at Lasham. To the south, the cloud base was as slow as 500 feet with the occasional drizzle. On 14 April 1944, at the request of resistance workers, six Mosquitos of 613 Squadron led by Wing Commander Robert Bateson bombed the Central Records Registry of the Gestapo in The Hague from a height of 50ft (15m). 0 Emergency services were called to a field near Hurston Lane in Storrington just before 11am today (Saturday 24. endstream endobj 34 0 obj <>stream 148 K-13 substantial 08/08/15, 15:00 lasham GS 55/40 none/none 407 Introductory flight ended in a field landing. There were no signs of a crash. He has flown gliders all over the world and competes in the British Nationals supported by wife of 31 years Ingrid who works as an exam invigilator in Surrey. One man was in a garden two miles west of Lasham when he saw a glider approximately one . Gun and knife seen during fight in Sandown, Officers attended the scene and found a man with facial injuries. The Lasham Gliding Society manager phoned Basingstoke police and the duty officer at the Department of Trade and Industry to ask if there had been any reports of a forced landing or crash. 'When my mum passed away, he did a lot for my dad in terms of having him over for drinks and giving him support.'. The accident site was 15 nautical miles south of the aerodrome and at an elevation of 475 feet above mean sea level with young beech and ash trees of 45-50 feet. Hampshire Constabulary ask public 'not to approach' Basingstoke man connected with 'serious assault', Travelodge jobs in Hampshire you can apply for now including receptionist and cleaner, Hampshire hour-by-hour bank holiday Monday weather as Met Office forecasts thunderstorms, There will be a mixture of sunshine, cloud and rain, Urgent appeal for missing Eastleigh 14-year-old girl with links to Basingstoke and Southampton. A comment on nomenclature. Once it was clear that the Super Cub was missing, that person had to be found and in this instance, he or she did not know where the pilot was taking the aircraft. One glider crashed on the airfield with two. I have been flying gliders here for 33 years and I am wary of it on every single flight' he said. [12] It operates under the auspices of Lasham Gliding Society who provide its launching facilities and many of its instructors.The club maintains an archive website where details of the club's history since 1930 are kept. 3[OX6m]hpl@8%^`wvWv.t;#R2w3"'OAp"PUT TQ]o gq' Y#xb z o Types flown included Slingsby T.21B trainer, Grunau Baby, and various other pre-war German sailplanes. A war-surplus barrage balloon winch was used for launches. The pair took off heading west on runwway 27 at 11:30 local time. This would affect every aspect of the flight, from the decision to carry on just a few hundred feet above the ground to losing control once theyd flown over the power cables. Do yo know if any of your Ebook partners offer something like "print on demand"? Permission to operate into, or out of them, must be obtained from the operator by prior arrangement. From 1951, the main activity at Lasham airfield became recreational gliding. As the wreckage was not found for two months, the postmortem analysis gave very little information. Charlie Hogarth, 20, who lived next-door to the pilot all her life, said: 'He was a nice, considerate guy and very smart. The airfield is also the location of 2Excel Engineering Ltd., a company that maintains jet aircraft for various airlines. But on Monday he chose to fly alone with plans to glide for over five hours to celebrate his 60th birthday and was launched from the airfield next to the Gariep Dam after dawn. The squadrons of 2 Group used the de Havilland Mosquito and North American B-25 Mitchell. Then there are small airfields, typically owned by a local private operator or flying club. The airfield frequency is 131.03 MHz. endstream endobj 30 0 obj <>>> endobj 31 0 obj <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]>>/Rotate 0/TrimBox[0.0 0.0 609.449 793.701]/Type/Page>> endobj 32 0 obj <>stream I'm excited and thanks for the discount. This specific Super Cub had originally been purchased by the French Light Air Force. Four police . The third had an upgraded engine, a Continental C-90-12F, which set the ground work for the finished product. Powered aircraft at Lasham are rare, with an obvious exception of tugs for the gliders, and inbound flights need special permission unless there is a genuine emergency. ), Dangerous Aerobatics : C-17 crash at Elmendorf (2010). Unfortunately, theres no way to know if the heating was on that Saturday, throwing fumes into the cockpit. Sign up here to receive my weekly post in your inbox. Then a train passed by, drowning out any sounds from the aircraft. Firefighters were this morning called to a blaze at the Lasham Gliding Club House in Alton to reports of a fire within the kitchen area. Company registration no: IP15094R These gliders pick up enormous speed very quickly when they go into a vertical dive. The two occupants clearly died on impact, so a speedier response from search and rescue would not have otherwise made a difference. The person who was freed was then assessed and treated at the scene for non life-threatening injuries and was taken by SCAS crews to Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital. Mrs Draper, an occupational therapist from Marlborough, Wiltshire, who specialised in helping patients with catastrophic injuries, had been piloting gliders for nearly 20 years and competed internationally as a hang glider pilot, winning the first British Women's Championships. Ukraine war: Russia strikes Ukrainian arms depot to thwart counter attack, Scottish chef who became Australian MasterChef judge dies aged 46, Air pollution exposure can damage the heart within hours, Don't kill the Coronation with trendiness. Companies based at the south-west of the airfield have used the main runway since 1954 to bring in large jet aircraft for overhauls. Firefighters from Basingstoke and Alton station were called to the airfield of local flying club in Alton at 15:59 on Monday 20th September 2021. Sandown requires prior permission, but they had not received a request for any inbound aircraft from Lasham. The horizontal visibility was around half a mile. Figure 1 shows the track of the glider beginning on the ground at Lasham at 0953 hrs (airborne at 1020 hrs) to about 550 ft above the accident site at 1043:20 hrs, 4.5km . The aircraft dived into a dense wood in a steep nose-down and port wing down attitude. 'Peter was launched by winch and wanted to fly for as long as he could on his big day but tragically it wasn't to be. Piper initially designed the PA-19 as a military variant of the PA-18, in response to the US Armys call for liaison aircraft.