Pilot's public road take-off near Duns ends with plane in hedge
- Published
The pilot tried to take off on the A6105 in the Borders after landing in a nearby field
A pilot who tried to take off in his light aircraft from a public road in the Borders ended up on top of a hedge.
The incident - contained in an Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) report, external - happened on the A6105 near Duns in March this year.
The 60-year-old pilot had made a precautionary landing in a nearby field two days earlier due to poor weather.
However, when he tried to use the public road for take-off a gust of wind sent the plane crashing into a hedge.
The aircraft - an EV-97 Teameurostar - was damaged beyond repair in the accident and the pilot suffered minor injuries.
The light aircraft was damaged beyond repair in the accident
He was flying from Sherburn in Elmet airfield in Yorkshire to Perth on 3 March when he met "deteriorating weather" as he crossed the border into Scotland.
He descended to get clear of cloud and made a precautionary landing in a field near Duns.
He secured the aircraft and informed police and the landowner that he would return the following day to fly it out of the field.
However, low cloud persisted and when the pilot actually returned to the landing site two days later - accompanied by another pilot - he found the area was now "very boggy".
It was then that he paced out about 700m (760yds) of straight road nearby which he believed could provide a safer take-off than the field.
A number of local residents were sent to close the A6105 to traffic and he then attempted to take to the air at about 11:00.
But just as the aircraft hit take-off speed, a strong gust of wind blew it to the left and its right wing tip hit the road surface.
The left wing then hit a hedge, causing it to rotate 180 degrees and end up on top of a hedge.
The AAIB report said neither Scottish Borders Council nor the police had been informed of the take-off attempt.
It added that the A6105 was "not adequate" for use by aircraft and by failing to seek permission the pilot could not assess the wider safety implications of his actions.
It praised his decision to make the original precautionary landing but said if he had observed all regulations and guidance on his return it was "probable" the accident would have been avoided.