2008 Biggin Hill Cessna Citation crash
A Cessna 500 Citation, similar to VP-BGE, a model 501
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| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | 30 March 2008 |
| Summary | Pilot error |
| Site |
Farnborough, London, United Kingdom NGR TQ 438 649 51°21′53″N 0°04′02″E / 51.3646°N 0.0671665°ECoordinates: 51°21′53″N 0°04′02″E / 51.3646°N 0.0671665°E |
| Passengers | 3 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 5 |
| Injuries (non-fatal) | 0 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 501 Citation |
| Operator | Ross Air |
| Registration | VP-BGE |
| Flight origin | Biggin Hill, United Kingdom |
| Destination | Pau, France |
On 30 March 2008, a Cessna 501 Citation crashed into a house in Farnborough, London (UK), near Biggin Hill Airport, from where the aircraft had taken off a short time before. There were no survivors among the five people on board, which included former racing drivers Richard Lloyd and David Leslie.
The aircraft involved was a Bermudan-registered Cessna 501 Citation, tail number VP-BGE, construction number 500-0287, built in 1975. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had completed 5,844 hours total time and 5,352 cycles.
The Citation took off at 14:32 local time from runway 21 at Biggin Hill airport, with destination Pau Pyrénées Airport in France. Less than two minutes into the flight, the pilot radioed an emergency call, reporting "engine vibrations" and requesting an immediate return to Biggin Hill. The aircraft was given permission to land on any runway, and the pilots indicated that they would attempt to return to the departure runway. Shortly after the radio call the aircraft rapidly lost altitude and at 14:37 crashed into a property in Romsey Close, Farnborough. There were no survivors from the wreckage, which was consumed by fire, as was the house that the aircraft struck. A neighbouring property was also damaged by fire.
All five occupants of the aircraft (two crew and three passengers) perished in the accident. There were no physical injuries among residents of the street into which the plane crashed, although two people were later treated for shock.
Crew
Passengers
A memorial service was held for the victims on 6 April 2008.
An Investigation was conducted by the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB), assisted by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration and by the aircraft manufacturer, Cessna and the engine manufacturer, Pratt & Whitney Canada. The preliminary report from the AAIB revealed that there was no debris found on the runway at Biggin Hill, and no evidence of a bird strike or foreign object damage to either engine.
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