Pilot fined after concrete block falls of his plane

2:01pm Wednesday 12th December 2007

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A PILOT has been fined after he failed to untie a concrete block from his plane before take off and it plummeted hundreds of feet to the ground.

The block landed near schoolchildren attending a tennis club.

"We had a class of 50 children on a visit from schools and it was a miracle it hit the grass."

Jim Douglas

Pilot Alan Gibson has been fined £1,000 for failing to carry out a pre-flight check correctly before flying from Newcastle Airport.

Around 50 children were at the Northumberland Tennis Club in North Jesmond Avenue, Jesmond, when the concrete block hurtled into the adjacent car park.

Gibson, of Salisbury Avenue, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, pleaded guilty to the offence by letter and now must pay the fine imposed by magistrates at Gosforth as well as £700 in costs.

The near-miss happened after the concrete, which is used to anchor planes on runways, broke free from the aircraft. It should have been untied before take-off.

The four seater Piper Cherokee had taken off from Newcastle Airport at 9.20am on Wednesday May 9 this year.

Children from Central High School, Jesmond, were on a weekly sports outing at the time and officials said it was lucky no-one was injured.

Jim Douglas, general manager of the club, said at the time: "There were two people standing in the car park.

"They heard an aircraft overhead and thought nothing of it, then in a matter of seconds, there was a huge thud and a large cloud of dust about 40 yards from them.

"They went over to the grassed area by the side of the car park and saw the block. It had hit with such force it was embedded in the grass about a foot down.

"We had a class of 50 children on a visit from schools and it was a miracle it hit the grass.

"If it had been on the concrete, it could have been like a bouncing bomb. It would have broken into pieces and that could have been nasty.

"It was a really lucky escape."

Police were called and took the block from the car park.

Northumbria Police contacted the Civil Aviation Authority which investigates air safety.

The CAA then brought prosecution against Gibson as a breach of the Air Navigation Order.

A spokesman said: "This was a very serious incident and that was the reason for prosecuting."

The Air Accident Investigation branch of the Department for Transport said they were aware of the incident but added it was classed as 'non-reportable' and was not under investigation.

The maximum fine for failing to carry out pre-flight checks is £2,500.