Troutbeck plane crash: Report says pilot ignored runway advice

A pilot died in a plane crash seconds after taking off from a runway he was told not to use, a report found.

David Bolton, 44, also made other mistakes before the crash in Cumbria in October 2020, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said.

He had earlier landed at Troutbeck Airfield without permission, it said, and also did not fasten his harness.

The AAIB said it was also likely Mr Bolton, from Nottingham, had not carried out his checks before take-off.

The report concluded Mr Bolton, who worked as a chief revenue officer for a technology firm, did not listen to advice from the airfield owner not to take off from the grass as it was "rough and boggy" on the day of the crash on 11 October 2020.

It said he had earlier landed without permission at the airfield, between Keswick and Penrith, in the Cessna FRA150L Aerobat with a passenger.

The pair, who had flown from Nottingham, had planned to meet a pilot friend at Troutbeck who had travelled there in another plane, the AAIB said.

Because of conditions at the airfield Mr Bolton took off alone, leaving his passenger to fly back to Nottingham with his pilot friend.

The report said Mr Bolton then took off from a runway he had been told not to use and turned left before the aircraft went into a nose dive.

It crashed 10 seconds later.

A post-mortem examination revealed Mr Bolton died from head and chest injuries.

The AAIB report concluded the accident was caused by the aircraft stalling on take-off.

It said Mr Bolton, who had had his pilot licence for about two years, probably had not carried out his checks before take-off, as "he rushed to depart while not becoming stuck in the muddy surface" of the runway.

In conclusion the report highlighted "that thorough preparation is essential for every flight, and accidents can happen if short cuts are taken or good advice is not heeded".

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