REVIEW OF PILOT DEATH
Russell DIXON (2001)
Crash inquiry told tragedy 'avoidable'
Wed 5 Nov 2003
STUART REID
THE death of two pilots whose small plane crashed into the Firth of Forth could have been prevented by better safety measures, a fatal accident inquiry has heard.
Captain Carl Mason, 58, from Ayr, and his co-pilot Russell Dixon, 29, from Oxfordshire, died when the Shorts 360 aircraft suffered double engine failure soon after take-off on a flight from Edinburgh to Belfast carrying mail bags.
Gordon Lamont, representing the men’s families, yesterday told Sheriff James Farrell the accident could have been avoided if Glasgow-based airline Loganair had understood the importance of certain safety precautions.
The plane had been unexpectedly grounded on the early hours of February 27, 2001, when Edinburgh Airport closed because of driving snow and heavy wind.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard during the inquiry that over the course of the day snow was blown into the plane through uncovered intake holes.
Chunks of frozen slush caused a blockage of air to the engines which led to a double engine failure. Despite expert handling of the aircraft by the crew, it crashed into the sea at about 5.30pm, killing both men.
Mr Lamont accused Loganair of failing to follow the manufacturer’s manual for the plane, which instructed protective covers be fitted to intake areas during bad weather.
He condemned the fact that neither these covers nor a ladder necessary to fit them was provided on the aircraft, that no comprehensive system for fitting them was in place and no on-hand technical support for crew was available at Edinburgh Airport.
The lawyer called for the emergency services to consider stationing a lifeboat at Granton because of its closeness to the airport. It took 17 minutes for a boat to reach the plane from Fife. Mr Lamont also raised concern over the lack of trained divers in the Forth area.
Navy divers from Prestwick eventually freed the bodies from the cockpit at about 10pm. Air accident inspector Margaret Dean, 45, earlier told the inquiry that Loganair had failed to comply with advice in the manufacturer’s manual for the plane, which called for the protective covers to be fitted in bad weather.
The manual instructed a cover, known as a blank, be put over an air intake hole at the front of the plane to keep debris and snow out of the engine.
However, Miss Dean told the sheriff that Loganair had no established procedure for this and did not even regularly store blanks on the plane.
The inquiry also heard that neither pilot had been trained to cope with a double engine failure for that plane.
In April an Air Accidents Investigation Branch [AAIB] report placed blame for the accident firmly on snow and ice entering into the engine intakes and preventing enough air getting to the engines which powered the two propellers, causing the plane to stall and fall out of the sky.
The report said that blanks should have been fitted to prevent snow entering the engines while it was parked at Edinburgh Airport.
The inquiry has now finished and Sheriff Farrell is to make his determination in writing.
Forth plane crash probe pays tribute to tragic pilots
Thu 13 Nov 2003
DIANE KING
THE pilot and co-pilot of a mail plane who died when their aircraft crashed into the Firth of Forth have been praised by a sheriff for their bravery.
At the end of a fatal accident inquiry in Edinburgh, Sheriff James Farrell said both had "demonstrated great fortitude of airmanship of the highest order".
In his written findings into the deaths of Carl Mason and co-pilot Russell Dixon, the sheriff said all those at the inquiry had been in agreement that no criticism was attached to the crew.
He added: "Those appearing before me joined in praising the actions of both deceased."
The men died when their Loganair Short SD-60 aircraft crashed into the sea near West Shore Road, Edinburgh, on February 27, 2001.
Sheriff Farrell found that the cause of the accident was the result of the almost simultaneous failure of both the aircraft’s engines at low altitude.
It was also revealed that the aircraft had been unexpectedly grounded overnight when Edinburgh Airport was closed due to severe wintry conditions. Snow had been blown into the plane’s engines and chunks of frozen slush caused a blockage of air, leading to a double engine failure.
Captain Mason, 58, of Bellevue Crescent, Ayr, and 29-year-old First Officer Dixon, of Morrison Street, Glasgow, took off on a mail run to Belfast at 5.10pm. Three minutes into the flight, both engines failed.
Sheriff Farrell said: "From the moment of the double engine failure to the touchdown in the sea, Captain Mason’s handling of the aircraft demonstrated great fortitude on his part and airmanship of the highest order."
The autopsy revealed only minor facial injuries to the two men, but they may have been sufficient to render them unconscious or dazed enough to prevent them from attempting to escape.
The family of Captain Mason said in a statement: "We are pleased that the skill and professionalism of both pilots has been recognised by the inquiry."
In a statement, airline Loganair said: "The thoughts of everyone at Loganair are with the families at this time."
Since the accident, the manufacturer of the Short aircraft has issued guidelines to crews on potential hazards associated with snow and ice.
Snow caused plane crash
BBC NEWS / SCOTLAND
Wednesday, 12 November, 2003, 11:00 GMT
A sheriff has concluded that a plane which crashed into the Firth of Forth had a build-up of slush in its engines causing them to fail just after take-off.
The pilot Carl Mason, 58, from Ayr and co-pilot Russell Dixon, 29, from Abingdon, Oxfordshire were killed in the accident in February 2001.
The sheriff's fatal accident inquiry findings support a report by the Air Accident Investigation Branch released in April that said the crash was caused by a build-up of snow in the Shorts 360's engines.
The inquiry, which ended last week, heard evidence that recommended protective covers had not been fitted to the aircraft's engine air intakes when it was parked for several hours in bad weather at Edinburgh airport.
The plane, which was carrying mail, had been grounded overnight because of bad weather.
Sheriff James Farrell's findings, published on Wednesday, will now be studied by the plane's operators, Loganair, and other organisations including the British Airline Pilots' Association.