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  "path": "/news/buckinghamshire-plane-crash-in-british-countryside-revealed",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-18T05:54:56.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "Drug dealer jailed after filming himself driving recklessly at 119mph while banned",
    "Drivers issued major Highway Code warning amid new road safety crackdown",
    "US Air Force apologises after sparking panic with 'double bang' over East Anglia",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nThe cause of a horrific plane crash in the British countryside has been revealed.\n\nThe crash - which occurred as the aircraft took from Wycombe Air Park, Buckinghamshire - left the pilot and passenger seriously injured, with a helicopter pilot landing in the field to assist the pair.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said the July 3 incident, may have been caused by contaminated fuel.\n\nThe small plane, a Ikarus C42 FB100 Bravo, was destroyed after it suffered a total loss of power.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\nCause could not be \"positively determined\", but it was determined the fuel was \"not of the correct grade or quality\".\n\nThe report from the AAIB said nothing abnormal was noted in the pre-flight inspection.\n\nThe pilot, a 61-year-old man, had 898 hours of flying experience and told an airfield radio operator he planned to land in a field.\n\nHe did not declare a Mayday as he made an effort to land in the field.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nBut he collided with trees during the attempted emergency landing, completely crumpling the plane as it landed nose down.\n\nThe report said the plane was fuelled from a jerry can which contained premium E5 uenleaded petrol, bought from a local petrol station.\n\n\"The quantity of fuel could not be verified,\" the report said.\n\nAnother aircraft operated by the same flying school suffered engine problems in a similar incident, but was able to land on the runway with only minor damage.\n\n### MORE IN THE EAST OF ENGLAND:\n\n\n\n\n  * Drug dealer jailed after filming himself driving recklessly at 119mph while banned\n  * Drivers issued major Highway Code warning amid new road safety crackdown\n  * US Air Force apologises after sparking panic with 'double bang' over East Anglia\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nAll aircraft from the school were examined and three contained a jelly-like substance in their carburettor bowls.\n\nThe three small aircraft were all fuelled from the same petrol batch.\n\n\"The cause of the engine failure was not positively determined although a mechanical failure of the engine was ruled out,\" the report said.\n\nAn assessment of the fuel revealed it may have been a \"lower octane number than specified by the engine manufacturer\", and might have been contaminated with \"diesel, light kerosene or jet fuel\".\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\"This would have prevented the fuel from igniting in the engine cylinders when the spark plugs were activated,\" the report added.\n\nBut the report added the source of the fuel quality issue was \"not determined\".\n\nIt was determined the pilot chose to land in the field to avoid a potentially more dangerous stall or spin.\n\nSafety actions have now been taken by the operator who \"purchased a bowser to supply its aircraft with UL91 fuel\".\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "Cause of horrific plane crash in British countryside revealed"
}