October 2, 2020 4.55 pm This story is over 41 months old

Engine defects caused fatal aircraft crash

The engine failed after takeoff
Pilot Simon Barrett died in an aircraft crash near Spilsby. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
By Local Democracy Reporter

An aircraft crash near Spilsby which killed 55-year-old Simon Barrett last year was a result of the engine not being fit for flying, a new report found.

Barrett was found dead at the scene of the crash at Mavis Enderby in December 2019, which prompted a full investigation into the aircraft and the circumstances of the incident.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch published a report which showed the engine had “several defects” and “suffered a partial engine failure shortly after taking off.”

The plane went down in Mavis Enderby. Photo: BBC

The report found that the pilot had over 1,300 hours of flying experience spanning over 30 years, and took to the skies to test out a modification to the plane’s fuel system.

Investigators found the engine to be in a poor condition with numerous issues, including a crack in the cylinder head, a split in the inlet manifold joint and deposits on the valve seats.

This combination of issues could well have been the primary factor in the aircraft crashing and subsequently killing Simon Barrett.

Simon’s family described him as “a family man, a devoted, supportive and loving husband to his wife and doting dad to his daughter.”

They said: “Simon loved flying and flew his plane whenever the weather was looking fine and he had some spare time. A huge hole has been left in our lives.”