Highland Airways

Cessna 406 Caravan

The aircraft and its commander were concluding the fifth sector of the day when, shortly after starting a descent for Inverness, the aircraft’s rate of descent became unsteady and it started to turn left. The available evidence indicated that the aircraft struck the ground in a steep, left, spiral dive. The extreme fragmentation of the wreckage suggested a high impact speed, probably in the region of 350 kt. Major airframe and powerplant failures were discounted but otherwise, there was insufficient evidence to draw firm conclusions about the reasons for the sudden deviation from controlled flight and secondly, the absence of any evidence consistent with an attempt to recover from the dive. Two safety recommendations made recently to the EASA concerning flight recorders were re-iterated.

De Havilland DH.84 Dragon

Shortly after take off from Inverness Airport, while climbing, the twin engine aircraft stalled and crashed in the Beauly Firth. All three occupants were injured while the aircraft was lost.

De Havilland DH.84 Dragon

The crew was completing a cargo flight from Dalcross to Kirkwall. The airplane crashed for unknown reasons while landing at Kirkwall Airport. Both occupants were injured and the airplane was destroyed.