Plane Ian Daglish was flying had 'fuel supply problem'

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The plane which crashed into two houses in Salford, tragically killing an Alderley Edge pilot and leaving his passenger critically ill, had suffered a fuel supply problem soon after takeoff.

Ian Daglish, from Swiss Hill, was flying a Piper PA-38 Tomahawk aircraft when it crashed into houses in the Eccles area of Salford soon after taking off from Barton City Airport on July 29th last year.

Ian, 59, suffered extensive burns and sadly passed away two days later. His passenger, 19 year-old Joel McNicholls suffered 60% burns and is still recovering.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said the engine suffered a rapid and significant power loss at approximately 200 ft, stalled, rolled more than 60° to the left, crashed into two houses and caught fire.

The AAIB report stated "The account of the passenger and the findings from the investigation support a fuel supply problem as being the most likely cause of the engine stoppage."

It concluded "Although other potential causes for the engine stoppage could not be eliminated from the investigation, the most likely cause, based on the available evidence, was that stiffness of the fuel selector valve and wear on the rod connecting it to the selector handle may have resulted in the valve being in an intermediate position during the takeoff. This would have reduced the fuel flow to a level too low to sustain continuous engine operation.

"The suddenness of the engine stopping and the limited time available to react to it probably resulted in the pilot omitting to lower the nose before the aircraft stalled. Once the aircraft stalled, it is highly unlikely that he could have recovered the aircraft in the height available."

Ian was an experienced pilot having flown over 400 hours. He had privately hired the two seater plane from Ravenair Flying School and was expecting a friend to accompany him on the flight but, when the friend did not arrive, he offered the vacant seat to Joel McNicholls.

Ian was very fond of the village where he lived with his wife Joy and two teenage daughters, Hazel and Fiona. Ian was a member of the Alderley Edge History Group and the Edge Association, he was on the steering group for the Alderley Edge Parish Plan and the published author of a series of military history books.

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Ian Daglish
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