Cause of power failure which forced plane to ditch in Jersey waters remains a mystery

Paul Clifford and Duncan Laisney after disembarking the lifeboat Picture: ROB CURRIE. (35188149)

THE cause of a power failure which forced a light aircraft to ditch in the sea off Jersey’s south-east coast remains a mystery, an air accident report has concluded.

Former RAF Tornado pilot Duncan Laisney and experienced aviator Paul Clifford escaped unharmed when their single-engine plane hit the water in a controlled landing on the afternoon of 3 November.

The pair were rescued by an RNLI lifeboat crew about an hour later.

An Air Accidents Investigation Branch report released this week has set out the final moments of the flight, but stated that the ’cause of the power loss was not established’.

Mr Laisney, who flew combat missions over Iraq and Afghanistan, was training Mr Clifford when the aircraft began to lose power at 2,000ft.

The report states that the pair tried various methods to rectify the problem, including switching on the electric fuel pump and selecting alternative fuel tanks, but none had any effect.

Seconds later, it became clear they had to ditch and they declared an emergency.

The pair ensured that the life raft and ‘grab bag’, which contained a personal locator beacon and had been placed behind the seats before the flight, were accessible.

Mr Laisney then turned the aircraft into the wind to reduce groundspeed and prepared to touch down on the water.

Duncan Laisney being helped onboard Picture RNLI (35188175)

Describing the moment of impact during an interview with JEP and Bailiwick Express last month, Mr Laisney said: ‘The landing was a little bit like the film Sully. We had an impact onto the water with a rapid deceleration and a big surge of water that came over the canopy.

‘I think it was just spray that came over but [Mr Clifford] thought we may have submerged into the water and came back out again. We don’t really know but we had that enveloped feeling of being under water.

‘Quickly, that all dissipated and we found ourselves floating.’

The pair, who were already wearing life-jackets, then got out and stood on a wing as they inflated the liferaft, which they jumped in to when the aircraft began to sink about three minutes after the ditching.

The report concluded: ‘The aircraft was not recovered and there were no photographs or recordings from onboard the flight… The possibility of contaminated fuel is considered unlikely but the cause of the power loss was not established.’

The AAIB said that the successful ditching highlighted the importance of ‘prior planning, continuing to “fly the aircraft” and carrying appropriate safety equipment when flying over water’.

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