Pilot unable to recall fatal flight which killed friend

Nov 27 2007 by Our Correspondent, Western Mail

THE pilot of a light aircraft which crashed killing the passenger still has no recollection of the incident, an inquest heard yesterday.

Brian Vaux said that the last thing he recollects on the day of the incident in September 2006 is flying the aircraft over Caernarfon Bay at 2,300ft.

He said the passenger Stuart Kingsbury, 73, of Pen-y-Bont, Talywain, Pontypool, had remarked that Snowdon was to the left of the plane, a Cessna 152.

“That’s the last I remember. I can’t remember landing the aircraft, refuelling or the take-off, nor the incident itself,” he said.

The pair had taken off from Caernarfon. Just a few minutes later the aircraft came down in cloud in the Ogwen Valley near Bethesda.

Experts said the aircraft crashed while flying “straight and level”.

Mr Vaux of Queen Street, Pontypool, said he had planned to fly directly from Caernarfon Airport to their home base at Shobdon, near Hereford.

But poor weather forced them to return to Caernarfon’s airport to refuel and he decided to take a more northerly route, along the North Wales coast where the weather was reported to be better.

In the crash Mr Vaux, 61, was badly injured and has undergone extensive treatment for brain and spinal injuries. He appeared at the Caernarfon hearing in a wheelchair.

There were no witnesses to the crash but a female fell runner heard the aircraft overhead followed by the sound of a crash. She ran down the hillside to the nearest phone to raise the alarm.

Firefighters, paramedics and mountain rescue teams were joined by two helicopters in the search.

Mr Kingsbury was certified dead at the scene. Mr Vaux was airlifted to Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor, for emergency treatment.

Keith Conradi of the Air Accident Investigation Branch at Farnborough said he visited the crash site, 1,700ft up the mountain the following day.

He said inquiries revealed Mr Vaux had marked the chart with his intended route and had crashed within a mile of that track.

Asked by North-West Wales coroner Dewi Pritchard Jones what Mr Vaux should have done, Mr Conradi said, “He should have navigated around the low cloud. If you are in any doubt, especially in bad weather, it is best to keep away from high ground.”

Christopher Protheroe, an engineering expert, said the aircraft had no defects that would have contributed to the accident. He said the aircraft had been flying straight and level and at speed when it hit the mountainside.

“The force of impact pushed the wings forward and causing the fuselage to bend over the cockpit. It looked like a ball,” he said.

Pathologist Dr Susan Andrew said Mr Kingsbury suffered a deep gash to the forehead which probably knocked him unconscious. He also suffered fractures to sternum (breastbone), right leg and ankle.

Dr Andrew said, “The cause of death was the inhalation of vomit due to the traumatic impact injury to the chest.”

A verdict of accidental death was recorded.

Mr Vaux made no comment after the inquest but, speaking about the incident earlier this year, he said he would always be haunted by the crash which killed his friend.

“He’d been a longstanding friend for over 40 years and he was probably the first person who introduced me to general aviation, light aircraft.

“He was a wonderful guy, helped me a lot and I’ve been devastated by his death, devastated, and I’m sure it will haunt me for the rest of my life,” he said.

After the inquest Mr Kingsbury’s wife Frances paid tribute to the rescue services.

She said, “They did their very best in very difficult circumstances and I would like to thank them all for what they did. I would like to thank the lady fell runner in particular for raising the alarm. I have never been told who she is and I hope one day to thank her personally.”