Piper Malibu missing north of Alderney!

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Cacophonix
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Piper Malibu missing north of Alderney!

#1 Post by Cacophonix » Tue Jan 22, 2019 6:56 am

An air and sea search has been launched after a plane disappeared from radar over the English Channel.

Rescue teams were scrambled to waters north of Alderney in the Channel Islands after the light aircraft vanished on Monday evening, Guernsey police said.

“A search and rescue operation is currently under way off the north of Alderney after a light aircraft disappeared from radar several hours ago,” the force said.

“Two helicopters alongside the Guernsey and Alderney lifeboats are searching for it.”

The Alderney lifeboat said it launched at 8.50pm on Monday night.

According to the BBC, the Piper Malibu with two people on board lost contact near the Casquets lighthouse around eight miles north-west of Alderney at 8.30pm.

The plane is thought to have been travelling from Nantes in Brittany to Cardiff.

HM Coastguard said the incident was not in the UK search and rescue area, although it had sent two helicopters to help.

“HM Coastguard helicopters from Solent and Newquay have been helping to search overnight with nothing found,” it said.

The search and rescue operation had to deal with worsening conditions as they scoured the area on Monday night.

“At that time there were some showers around, but nothing too intense. Wind speeds were not too bad – average speeds were around 15 to 20mph,” Met Office meteorologist Mark Wilson said.

“But it has got pretty wet, we’ve seen a band of rain push down from the north-west. That rain set in around 11.30pm to midnight and it’s still raining now.

“It’s also a bit windier, with gusts around 35mph.”
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/201 ... er-channel

Unless these folks were wearing survival suits and made it into a raft I wouldn't give much for their hopes of survival.

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Re: Piper Malibu missing north of Alderney!

#2 Post by CharlieOneSix » Tue Jan 22, 2019 9:55 am

Of the two on board one is thought to be Argentinian striker Emiliano Sala who on Saturday signed for Cardiff City for £15m from Nantes.
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Re: Piper Malibu missing north of Alderney!

#3 Post by Cacophonix » Tue Jan 22, 2019 11:45 am

I was jut looking at my own cross channel checklist and was struck by its inadequacy for survival in summer, let alone in winter in the English Channel.

Cross Channel Checklist.JPG
https://www.faa.gov/pilots/training/air ... Manual.pdf

No mention of PLB (now mandatory in the aircraft) but how does it work? Is it working? What about flares and, even better a survival suit and a dinghy?

Note to self. Jack your procedures up.

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Re: Piper Malibu missing north of Alderney!

#4 Post by Cacophonix » Tue Jan 22, 2019 12:47 pm

First thought about this incident that came to mind was, could icing have been part of a chain in the descent requested by the pilot this aircraft? I don't know and I am not proposing any theories but it is probably worth looking at the Malibu in IMC and potential icing conditions in the video here that is well worth thinking about. The Malibu, is of course, or was, certified for flight into known icing.







A little more gen. on the Malibu and the questions of operation in IMC etc....
We'll probably never know the answer to that kind of question, but it came up again in 1989 and in a similar context. This time, the reputations of the Piper Malibu (PA-46-310) and Malibu Mirage (PA-46-350) aircraft were on the line. Between May 1989 and March 1991, there were seven fatal accidents, six of them involving Malibus, one of them a Mirage. All were in-flight breakups; most occurred at altitude, some involved flight in thunderstorms, and some involved relatively low-time pilots.
https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all ... ibu-mirage

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Re: Piper Malibu missing north of Alderney!

#5 Post by Cacophonix » Tue Jan 22, 2019 1:16 pm

Some more thought provoking stuff on icing here for interest's sake.

https://www.flyingmag.com/safety/weather/madness-icing


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Re: Piper Malibu missing north of Alderney!

#6 Post by Cacophonix » Tue Jan 22, 2019 1:26 pm

Anyway whatever the cause of this aircraft's "disappearance" here is the most up to date news...
The aircraft was on a flight from Nantes Atlantique Airport, Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, France to Cardiff Airport, Cardiff, Glamorgan United Kingdom. Two people were on board: the pilot and Argentinian football player Emiliano Sala, who had just been bought by Cardiff City F.C. from FC Nantes for a club record fee in excess of £11,000,000.

The aircraft had departed from Nantes at 19:15 GMT (20:15 CET). It was last in contact with Jersey air traffic control when a request was made to descend from 5,000 feet (1,500 m). The aircraft was at an altitude of 2,300 feet (700 m) when contact was lost.The time was 20:30 GMT. It was then 7.0 nautical miles (13 km) north west of Alderney, Channel Islands. A search and rescue operation was launched, but was suspended at 02:00 GMT on 22 January due to worsening weather conditions. Although outside the United Kingdom's area of responsibility, HM Coastguard sent two helicopters to assist in the search for the aircraft. A French helicopter was also sent to participate in the search, as were the Alderney and Guernsey Lifeboats. The search resumed at 08:00 GMT. As of 11:45 GMT on 22 January a total of 1,000 square miles (2,600 km2) has been covered by a total of five aircraft and two lifeboats, however no trace of the aircraft has been found.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Pipe ... appearance

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Re: Piper Malibu missing north of Alderney!

#7 Post by boing » Wed Jan 23, 2019 1:10 am

I wonder who gets the 11,000,000 ?


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Re: Piper Malibu missing north of Alderney!

#8 Post by Slasher » Wed Jan 23, 2019 1:44 am

So far all the media is focusing on the Argentinian and not the prang itself. What was the POB and who was the pilot...him or somebody else?

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Re: Piper Malibu missing north of Alderney!

#9 Post by Slasher » Wed Jan 23, 2019 4:34 am

Sorry....can't amend my post above. Saw Caco's post. Just wonder who the pilot was.

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Re: Piper Malibu missing north of Alderney!

#10 Post by Mrs Ex-Ascot » Wed Jan 23, 2019 5:15 am

This is the latest from the Daily Mail; https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... nd-me.html

It seems strange that no distress call was made by the pilot.
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Re: Piper Malibu missing north of Alderney!

#11 Post by Cacophonix » Wed Jan 23, 2019 8:09 am

There were three POB. The pilot (unnamed as yet), Eiliano Sala and one other unnamed passenger. It is being reported that the search has been called off this morning, not least because of the icy fog and mist in the area. Sadly the likelihood of finding anybody alive yesterday was very low and it is highly likely that all three were killed in the accident itself which was probably sudden, given the lack of a mayday from the pilot. A sudden loss of control by the pilot, due to icing or something else while in IMC cannot be ruled out.


I read the report in the Daily Mail that Mrs Ex-Ascot posted and noted reference to the Sala WhatsApp audio message and wonder if his comment about the aircraft "failing to pieces" might have been prompted by the aircraft shedding ice. The sound of this happening in a light aircraft can result in sundry bangs along the back of the fuselage and Caco can attest that it can be unnerving. All speculation of course, and if the wreckage is not found and analysed then this accident may remain a mystery and subject to speculation of this sort. The news report of three aborted takeoff attempts, however points to some sort of technical problem. No doubt the facts will slowly emerge.

As for the rest, yesterday was a bad one for light aircraft incidents and accidents with one occurring at Fairoaks and a runway overrun occurring at Earl's Colne.

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Re: Piper Malibu missing north of Alderney!

#12 Post by ian16th » Wed Jan 23, 2019 8:16 am

boing wrote:
Wed Jan 23, 2019 1:10 am
I wonder who gets the 11,000,000 ?
.
Cardiff could lose out.
Don't most insurance policies exclude death when flying in non-commercial a/c?
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Re: Piper Malibu missing north of Alderney!

#13 Post by Cacophonix » Wed Jan 23, 2019 8:36 am

ian16th wrote:
Wed Jan 23, 2019 8:16 am
boing wrote:
Wed Jan 23, 2019 1:10 am
I wonder who gets the 11,000,000 ?
.
Cardiff could lose out.
Don't most insurance policies exclude death when flying in non-commercial a/c?
I would suspect it was a commercial flight although uncheduled, flown either VFR of IFR by a commercial pilot with the relevant ratings. A light aircraft can be used commercially, as the Piper Malibu often is with its five seats, if flown by an outfit that is authorised with an Operator's licence issued by the relevant authorities to do so.

If the club simply bundled him into a private aircraft for this night flight in IMC then they should be sued by the family as occurred in the Graham Hill case.

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Re: Piper Malibu missing north of Alderney!

#14 Post by ian16th » Wed Jan 23, 2019 8:42 am

Cacophonix wrote:
Wed Jan 23, 2019 8:36 am
ian16th wrote:
Wed Jan 23, 2019 8:16 am
boing wrote:
Wed Jan 23, 2019 1:10 am
I wonder who gets the 11,000,000 ?
.
Cardiff could lose out.
Don't most insurance policies exclude death when flying in non-commercial a/c?
I would suspect it was a commercial flight although uncheduled, flown either VFR of IFR by a commercial pilot. A light aircraft can be used commercially, as the Piper Malibu often is with its five seats, if flown by an outfit that is authorised with an Operator's licence issued by the relevant authorities to do so.

If the club simply bundled him into a private aircraft for this night flight in IMC then they should be sued by the family.

Caco
Wasn't the t/o after sunset?

I saw somewhere that the pilot came from York! Quite a way from Cardiff!
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Re: Piper Malibu missing north of Alderney!

#15 Post by Cacophonix » Wed Jan 23, 2019 8:48 am

ian16th wrote:
Wed Jan 23, 2019 8:42 am
Cacophonix wrote:
Wed Jan 23, 2019 8:36 am
ian16th wrote:
Wed Jan 23, 2019 8:16 am


Cardiff could lose out.
Don't most insurance policies exclude death when flying in non-commercial a/c?
I would suspect it was a commercial flight although uncheduled, flown either VFR of IFR by a commercial pilot. A light aircraft can be used commercially, as the Piper Malibu often is with its five seats, if flown by an outfit that is authorised with an Operator's licence issued by the relevant authorities to do so.

If the club simply bundled him into a private aircraft for this night flight in IMC then they should be sued by the family.

Caco
Wasn't the t/o after sunset?

I saw somewhere that the pilot came from York! Quite a way from Cardiff!
It was a night take off with IMC conditions en route so de minimus the pilot would have had to have been a night rated, instrument rated, commercial plot in an aircraft with a permit to fly commecially operated by a licensed company for this to have been a legal commercial flight.

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Re: Piper Malibu missing north of Alderney!

#16 Post by Cacophonix » Wed Jan 23, 2019 9:04 am

The pilot is rumoured to be this chap. A well know ferry pilot and subject of the very good BBC documentary on ferry pilots back in 2015.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/magazine- ... erry-pilot

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p035186y/p03517vm

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Re: Piper Malibu missing north of Alderney!

#17 Post by Capetonian » Wed Jan 23, 2019 9:15 am

The whole thing is tragic. I watched that short documentary, he doesn't seem the type to.take unneccessary risk and yet he acknowledges that it's a high risk occupation.

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Re: Piper Malibu missing north of Alderney!

#18 Post by Cacophonix » Wed Jan 23, 2019 9:18 am

Capetonian wrote:
Wed Jan 23, 2019 9:15 am
The whole thing is tragic. I watched that short documentary, he doesn't seem the type to.take unneccessary risk and yet he acknowledges that it's a high risk occupation.
Flying light aircraft, especially single engine ones, long distances over water is not without its dangers. It is a tragic case as you say Capetonian.



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Re: Piper Malibu missing north of Alderney!

#19 Post by Boac » Wed Jan 23, 2019 9:50 am

Got a feeling there was some tie-up with Rob the knob and this chap?

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Re: Piper Malibu missing north of Alderney!

#20 Post by Capetonian » Wed Jan 23, 2019 9:52 am

I do hope not. You're not thinking of Robert Weaver are you? A wank of the first water.

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