Pilot crashed after missing runway, report finds

A small plane crashed into a hedge in field short of East Kirkby Airfield

A plane crashed into a hedge at a Lincolnshire airfield because the pilot struggled to find the runway, a report has found.

The 62-year-old pilot attempted to land at East Kirkby Airfield but came to rest in a field short of the runway on the afternoon of 1 March.

He steered to avoid a hedge but clipped the right wing which spun the aircraft into the hedge, according to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).

The pilot was the only person on board and suffered no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The pilot, who was flying from Full Sutton, East Yorkshire, said he was unfamiliar with the East Kirkby Airfield area.

The report said he "had difficulty identifying the airfield" due to "a cluster of similar green fields at the location".

East Kirkby Airfield is the former RAF East Kirkby Aerodrome site and has two unlicensed grass strip runways.

Flying at 500ft (152m) above ground, the pilot aligned the aircraft with what he believed was one of the airfield's runways.

On landing, he hit rough ground short of the runway, the report added.

Upon realising, the pilot tried to turn around but there was not enough room to take-off again and he ended up crashing into a hedge.

The report said: "Whilst on the approach, the pilot believed he became focussed on his approach speed at the expense of maintaining his position in relation to the glidepath."

The aircraft was recovered but was left with "extensive damage" to the mounting structure of the wings, according to the AAIB.

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