AN INVESTIGATION has been launched after a plane crashed into a block of flats in Oxfordshire.
The light aircraft crashed into an unoccupied block of flats near Camp Road in Upper Heyford at about midday yesterday.
Eyewitnesses say the pilot escaped the plane via a parachute and landed away from the plane, which crashed in Heyford Park Village.
The pilot suffered several injuries and was taken to hospital, while no-one else was injured.
Read again: Shocked neighbours describe moment plane crashed just metres from their home
In a statement, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said: “An accident in Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, involving a light aircraft has been notified to the AAIB.
“An investigation has been launched into the accident and a team of inspectors are at the accident site gathering evidence.”
Each year, the AAIB receives between 500 and 700 notifications of air accidents and incidents.
Teams of inspectors will attend sites between 30 and 40 times a year, and conduct more than 200 investigations by correspondence.
The AAIB website states: “A report of an accident to a light aircraft, with no fatal or life-threatening injuries to the pilot or passengers, may be completed following a brief questionnaire that the pilot returns to us.”
How an investigation works
Inspectors are from four main disciplines: operations, engineering, recorded data and human factors.
For a field investigation, typically a small team of inspectors (at least two) will be sent from these disciplines to the accident site, or to the location of the aircraft following a serious incident.
Engineering support staff typically attend accident sites to provide guidance on hazards and to recover aircraft wreckage.
Read more: Pilot in hospital after plane crashes into block of flats in Oxfordshire
The inspectors’ priority is to document and preserve evidence to try to understand the initial circumstances of the accident.
They examine the physical evidence including both the aircraft and details such as ground marks and collecting fuel samples, and talk to witnesses while their recollection is still fresh.
During the site phase, inspectors also gather information that might not be located at the accident scene, such as training records, flight plans, aircraft logs or maintenance records.
For light aircraft accidents, electronic devices such as smart phones, tablets and GPS units are taken as they may provide helpful clues to understand what happened and why.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok
Got a story for us? Send us your news and pictures here
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel