Man killed in glider crash
Posted on April 30, 2012
A member of the London Gliding Club in Dunstable has died after the glider he was flying crashed into a field in Eaton Bray earlier this afternoon (30 April 2012).
The East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) were alerted shortly after 2.30pm to Harling Road. A fast response car, ambulance and an operations manager attended the scene, and due to the nature of the call, an air ambulance from South Central Ambulance Service was also sent to assist at the scene.
Ambulance spokesman Gary Sanderson said: "First and foremost our thoughts are firmly with the man's family at this tragic time." He added: "It was evident that nothing could be done on our arrival and the man was pronounced dead shortly after."
Bedfordshire Police said they were alerted by the ambulance service just after 2.30pm, and a road block was set up in the area. A force spokeswoman confirmed the Air Accidents Investigation Branch had launched an investigation.
Speaking this afternoon, Andrew Selous MP said: "I want to express my deepest sympathy to the family and friends of the man who was killed when his glider crashed in Eaton Bray this afternoon, and I will be looking to see that all lessons are learnt from this sad incident so that we can avoid any sad tragedy in future"
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May 1, 2012
,Richard Cooper says:What is this to do with Andrew Selous?
May 2, 2012
,Eaton Bray says:Further details about the crash and subsequent investigation can be found on the Dunstable Today website: Glider death crash pilot 'experienced'.
June 14, 2013
,Eaton Bray says:Details abuot the inquest into this death can be found in the Bucks Free Press: Inquest: Amersham glider pilot died after plane stalled
A glider pilot was killed after his aircraft stalled and plummeted into a field from about 400ft, an inquest heard yesterday.
Retired bank manager Michael Teychenne could not prevent the high performance Schleicher ASW 24 spiralling to the ground.
The 65-year-old, of Copperkins Lane, Amersham, was found dead amongst the wreckage of the glider after he crashed on farmland near the village of Eaton Bray, Bedfordshire, on April 30 last year.
Monday's inquest heard Mr Teychenne - a conductor of the Harrow Symphony Orchestra and treasurer of the Amersham and District Residents Association - had flown this particular glider 13 times over ten hours and had 11 years' of flying experience.
The fatal flight was his second of the day, having landed safely after an earlier one. He died from severe multiple injuries.
Eyewitness James West told the inquest in Dunstable he could see the glider was in trouble.
Mr West, himself a glider pilot, said: "I was expecting him to land, but then he climbed up. I thought he wasn't happy with his height and wanted to gain height before coming back to the airfield.
"I could see him heading down. I knew this was not his intentional manoeuvre.
"I lost sight of the impact when he hit the ground so I wasn't really sure how severe the impact was."
He added: "There's always a small possibility with a glider in it that if you arrive on the ground on a downwards slope you might get away with it. I was hopeful there might be a chance. I then saw people running across to the pilot."
Air accident investigators believed Mr Teychenne was not high enough off the ground to recover from the nosedive.
Paul Hannant, a senior inspector for the Air Accident Investigation Branch, told the inquest the glider stalling may have contributed to the unrecoverable nosedive.
He said: "The investigation concluded that the probable cause of the accident was a stall and loss of control due to an excessive loss of airspeed during a pull-up manoeuvre.
"There was insufficient height available to execute a recovery."
Mr Hannant added: "It was going at about 37 knots. If it stalls it has a tendency to nose over. It's inherent in the design of the aircraft."
Conditions and visibility were good and gusts of wind were between 14 and 24 knots, the hearing was told.
The jury of seven women and three men returned a verdict of accidental death.
Bedfordshire Coroner David Morris said: "He entered a spiral and had insufficient height to recover resulting in a fatal crash."