Inquest finds cause of fatal plane crash near North Weald in 2014 is a 'mystery'

An inquest held at Chelmsford Coroner’s Court today (June 2) returned an open verdict into the deaths of pilot Andrew Sully, 50, and Simon Chamberlain, 29, who were both killed when the small plane they were in went to ground only six minutes after leaving North Weald airfield.

The Yak-52 aerobatic training aircraft burst into flames after nose-diving into a field off the A414 near Writtle at 2.53pm on March 29 2014.

Eyewitnesses saw the plane flying at 100ft to 200ft shortly before the crash.

The plane then climbed abruptly to twice that height before likely stalling and diving into the ground with the engine still rotating at low power.

Mr Sully, from Writtle, was a first officer with British Airways and an RAF pilot who flew in the Gulf War.

The pilot offered Mr Chamberlain, from Harlow and secretary of the North Weald museum, the chance to fly when he saw him at the airfield that afternoon.

Mr Chamberlain, whose only child was 19 months at the time, and Mr Sully both died from multiple injuries.

The inquest’s open verdict follows a report published in March by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), which was unable to determine the reason for the crash.

Essex coroner Eleanor McGann described the crash as a “mystery”, and said that both pilot error and a fault with the plane were possible.

Eyewitnesses saw the plane flying straight and level but at a low speed before it turned and made its final climb.

Investigator Andrew Robinson said some parts of the plane could not be examined because of fire damage, but added that nothing that was examined “could have contributed to the accident.”

He said: “The difficulty in understanding this accident lies in why the aircraft was flying at that low to moderate speed, why at that low height, straight and level over a field in which a forced landing could be made.”

He added: “We cannot dismiss the possibility of some sort of engine power problem. 

“We cannot explain the final manoeuvre. 

“It is clear the final manoeuvre occurred at a height from which recovery was not possible."

After the hearing Mr Chamberlain's wife and parents issued a statement saying: "The family are very disappointed that despite the best efforts of the AAIB and Essex Police, who we would like to thank for their efforts, that we are no closer to finding out why that aircraft was flying so low and so slowly over that part of Essex which led to the tragic loss of life and has left so many people in grief."