Electric plane crashed near Cranfield during battery test

A forced landing was carried out during which the aircraft was severely damaged

An experimental plane which crash-landed in a field came down when its battery was deliberately switched off.

Two people escaped serious injury when the electric-powered Piper Malibu ended up in a field near Cranfield Airport in Bedfordshire on 29 April 2021.

Owner Zero Avia has been trialling flights using hydrogen power.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said the plane was undertaking experimental flight tests when power to the electrical motors was lost.

An interim report said the battery was turned off "as part of the test procedure" which left the motors "powered by the hydrogen fuel cell".

A forced landing was carried out during which the aircraft was severely damaged.

At the time, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said the two people inside the aircraft managed to "extricate" themselves out of the plane before fire crews arrived.

The AAIB said a full report was expected later this year.

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