Collision with pigeon caused plane to crash in Dunstable say investigators

A plane crashed into hedges in Dunstable after a pigeon hit its propeller, investigators have found.

The Skyranger Swift aircraft had taken off from a field around a mile south of the town when it crashed on September 25.

Now a report by the Air Accident Investigations Branch (AAIB) has revealed that the crash was caused by a pigeon strike – after the pilot banked the plane to avoid a heron.

According to the report while the heron passed by, the pilot “heard another bird hit the propeller” and realised the loss of power meant he could not clear the trees ahead of him. The 53-year-old pilot crashed into hedgerow and managed to get out of the plane unharmed and with minimal damage to the aircraft.

The report stated: “After the accident the pilot found the remains of a pigeon in the field and blood on the propeller.”