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Pilot badly hurt in plane crash after fuel problem

AAIB A small blue and white Jodel plane lodged into a green bank, surrounded by trees. AAIB
The plane hit a bank while landing at Rhigos Airfield in August

A pilot suffered serious injuries after his plane hit a bank while landing in a south Wales airfield, an investigation has found.

The 77-year-old man crashed as he tried to land the small plane at Rhigos Airfield, near Aberdare, Rhondda Cynon Taf, at about 09:45 BST on 3 August.

The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) found the aircraft, a Jodel made in 1969, had problems with its fuel supply.

The AAIB said the pilot suffered "serious facial and spinal injuries".

The report said the pilot was practising approaches to the airfield when on the second approach, he reduced throttle and set the carburettor heat to on.

Shortly after the engine stopped he noticed that fuel mixture had been cut instead of the carburettor heat being set to on.

He reset the mixture to rich and tried restarting the engine, but it ran for only a few seconds, by which time he was slow and low on final approach.

The aircraft then struck a bank which formed part of the airfield boundary.