1966 Dan-Air Piper Apache crash

The 1966 Dan-Air Piper Apache crash was a fatal accident involving a Piper PA-23 Apache 160 operating a positioning/crew flight from Gatwick via Lasham to Bristol below cloud in poor weather. The aircraft crashed on the 1 September 1966 at Loxhill, Hascombe, near Godalming, Surrey, England. The aircraft was destroyed and both pilots killed when it hit trees on the top of a hill near Godalming.
The aircraft
The aircraft, operated by Dan Air Services Ltd, was an instrument flight rules (IFR)-equipped Piper PA-23 Apache 160 (registration: G-ATFZ) that was used to transport crews between the airline's UK bases.<ref name="AIB_Report"/><ref name="Flight"/>
Accident
Following the aircraft's departure from Gatwick, the pilot flying the aircraft attempted to remain below cloud for a visual flight rules (VFR) flight to Lasham, where another company employee was waiting to be taken to Bristol. Despite being aware that the prevailing weather was likely to render any attempt to stay below cloud all the way to Lasham impractical, the pilot elected not to make use of the aircraft's IFR capabilities. Radar services at Lasham were on standby to provide approach guidance. The last weather information the pilot received stated that the cloud base at Lasham was above ground and visibility to . The aircraft struck trees near the top of the Loxhill, north of Dunsfold. Upon impact, both occupants sustained fatal injuries to their heads and upper torsos as the Apache had only been fitted with lapstraps instead of shoulder harnesses and no protective helmets were worn.<ref name="AIB_Report"/><ref name="Flight"/>
Investigation
The inspector in charge of the accident investigation noted that the most plausible explanation for the pilot's decision to conduct a VFR flight to Lasham in complete disregard of the weather he was likely to encounter en route was the considerable timesaving a VFR flight offered over an IFR operation, as a result of a more direct routeing. He added that the pilot's decision to attempt to fly below cloud in the prevailing weather constituted bad airmanship.<ref name="AIB_Report"/><ref name="Flight"/>
Cause
The accident investigation established the pilot's decision to attempt a VFR flight below cloud in adverse weather conditions as the main reason the aircraft struck high ground on Loxhill.<ref name="AIB_Report"/><ref name="Flight"/>

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