UK plane ran out of fuel, killing both passengers
A pilot and his partner were killed in a light aircraft crash last year after the plane ran out of fuel.
An accident report has now stated that the aircraft was not carrying enough fuel to safely complete their flight.
Pilot Gary Vickers, 58, and his passenger Kaye Clarke, 42, died after their Cessna aircraft crashed nose-down at Hawarden Airport near Chester in November 2013. Words: PA
The accident happened close to the Broughton factory of planemaking company Airbus UK.
The left engine of the aircraft, being flown from an aerodrome near Paris, lost power at a late stage of the approach to Chester due to fuel starvation, the report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said.
The report added: "The majority of usable fuel at the time of the accident was in the auxiliary tanks, which were not selected for engine feed.
"From the available evidence it is probable that the pilot originally intended to complete the flight using fuel from the main tanks only , and loaded them with what he considered to be a sufficient quantity. However, the main fuel tank quantity was insufficient for safe completion of the flight."
The report said Mr Vickers died at the scene. Ms Clarke was rescued from the wreckage and taken to Chester hospital but died a short while later. Both were from the Chester area.
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