Coroner's Finding: Knight, Milfred Keith
Deceased
Milfred Keith Knight
Demographics
75y, male
Date of death
2017-03-04
Finding date
2018-05-21
Cause of death
Multiple traumatic injuries sustained in aircraft crash
AI-generated summary
A 75-year-old experienced ultralight pilot died when his amateur-built aircraft crashed shortly after take-off at Devonport Airport. Investigation revealed the left-hand flaperon (primary flight control) had not been connected prior to flight. The aircraft was properly maintained, weather was benign, and the pilot had 885 hours flying experience with a valid certificate. Within seconds of take-off, loss of this control surface caused the aircraft to become unstable and plummet from less than 150 feet, resulting in multiple traumatic injuries and near-instantaneous death. The crash resulted from failure to properly attach the primary flight control before flight.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Error types
Contributing factors
- Left-hand flaperon (primary flight control) not connected prior to flight
- Loss of aircraft control immediately after take-off
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