A 55-year-old pilot was praised by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) after reacting calmly to an in-flight emergency and declaring a “mayday”. This incident occurred last May, however, the report was released earlier this week on April 9.
The Incident
The pilot took off in a light aircraft from Old Buckenham Airfield (EGSV) in Norfolk at 18:20 BST on May 23, 2025. The aircraft was a Piper PA-22-108, registered G-ARNE, the pilot held a Private Pilot’s Licence and had 293 hours of flying experience, according to the report.
Shortly after takeoff, at approximately 400 ft, the pilot heard a ‘clunk’ and felt a jolt through the aircraft. After carrying out checks, the pilot identified that the outer edge of the moving flap on the left wing had partially broken away and he declared a “mayday”. An assessment of the G-ARNE aircraft found the left outboard aileron hinge clevis pin was missing, and the hinge bracket was worn.
He manoeuvred the aircraft using rudder inputs and made a successful landing on Runway 07, after completing a wide circuit to avoid populated areas and to minimise aileron control inputs.
The AAIB praised the pilot for “calmly and methodically” troubleshooting and said his actions lessened the possibility of the aileron detaching in flight.
The Report
An Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) report said:
“The action taken by the pilot to calmly and methodically troubleshoot and identify the issue, before applying a threat-and-error-management strategy, is good practice when responding to in-flight emergencies.”
“The action taken by the pilot to calmly and methodically troubleshoot and identify the issue, before applying a threat-and-error-management strategy is good practice when responding to in-flight emergencies.”
AAIB said the plane’s maintenance history did not identify when the pin had been replaced, and it was considered to predate current ownership. The report also said the pilot’s actions lessened the possibility of the aileron detaching in flight and that this event serves as a reminder to ensure that when maintaining aircraft the correct parts are used.
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