Yak-52, G-LENA, 22 July 2006
Yak-52, G-LENA
Summary:
Following a pleasure flight in the local area,, the aircraft made an approach and a high-speed low-level pass adjacent to the runway threshold, in front of a group of onlookers. Witnesses saw the aircraft pitch up to an attitude of 30° to 40° and climb to a height of around 200 ft, before starting a climbing roll to the right. The roll continued, the aircraft became inverted and entered a near-vertical rolling dive from which it did not recover.. It impacted the ground and caught fire. The impact was not survivable and both the pilot and his passenger received fatal injuries Examination of the wreckage failed to reveal any malfunction of the aircraft. It was, however, established that the passenger, occupying the rear seat, only used the lap strap elements of his seven point harness. The reason for the pilot losing control of the aircraft could not be positively established. It was possible however, for the rear seat crotch strap buckle to have become trapped in the flight controls in such a manner as to prevent the pilot from applying corrective left roll control inputs.
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