Walsall pilot who crashed on rail line was doing air stunts

Oct 8 2009 By Edward Chadwick

The AAIB said 64 hours of flying time had been recorded for the aircraft between March 2006 and May 2008 and it was likely that most of these hours were flown by Mr Matthews, who was married.

The aircraft held a non-expiring certificate of airworthiness issued on March 19 2008 and an airworthiness review certificate which was valid until March 17 2009.

The height at which Mr Matthews was flying before the accident could not be determined but, from the witness descriptions, it was not at a great height and appeared to be insufficient to recover from a loss of control, the AAIB said.

The report added: “There was no evidence that the pilot had received training in performing aerobatic manoeuvres.”

The AAIB also said: “Other than in a flying club environment, there is no system for checking that pilots are suitably qualified for flying an aircraft.

“Thus, when a member of the public accepts a flight with a private pilot, there is no assurance that the pilot is qualified and fit to fly other than the pilot’s own integrity.”

The report went on: “The situation of mutual trust, however, is little different from accepting a lift in a person’s car or other private vehicle and is not a basis for a safety recommendation.”

The AAIB said that since the accident, Sittles Flying Club Ltd, the organisation that runs Sittles airfield, has put in place measures to ensure that documentation is checked for validity on a regular basis for all pilot members and their aircraft.