'Cause of the power loss was not established': details revealed on the plane crash off Jersey coast

More details have been revealed by the Air Accidents Investigations Branch (AAIB) on the events of the plane crash off Jersey's south-east coast last November.

On 3 November 2022, Paul Clifford and Duncan Laisney, a former RAF Tornado pilot, were flying in a light aircraft when they sent a mayday call shortly after 2pm.

On the aircraft's approach towards the runway, the engine lost power and the manifold pressure dropped, meaning the sound of the engine became "abnormal".

The aircraft crashed into the sea with both men exiting, inflating their life jackets and entering a life raft as the plane started to sink to the seabed.

Both men were stranded in the raft for an hour until the RNLI rescued them and took them back to St Helier. Neither were injured and both say they are "indebted" to the RNLI.

In the report by the AAIB, the cause of the power loss was "not established" and the "possibility of contaminated fuel is considered unlikely".

It goes on to highlight the "importance of prior planning" and "carrying appropriate safety equipment when flying over water".

Despite the cause of the power loss remaining unknown, rescuers say the crash has led to improvements in the way they respond to major incidents.

Coastguard Duty Officer, Philip Le Neveu, says: "We're being very critical but things like the Mancheplan, our search and rescue agreements with the French shoulder agencies and we've seen benefits of those improvements already".

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