Gerald William Spencer

The light aircraft Edgeley Optica G-KATY was operated by the Hampshire Constabulary Air Support Unit and on the morning of 15th May 1985 it was piloted by PC Spencer, who had a Private Pilot Licence and a CAA exemption, from their base at Lee-on-Solent Airfield to Ringwood.

It was market day in Ringwood and DC Malcolm James Victor Wiltshire was authorised to take aerial photographs of traffic congestion in the town, from an altitude of between 1,000 and 1,500 feet. For that purpose it was orbiting the town. It had made three or four such orbits, on the last of which it dropped from its previous operating height to only 100 to 150 feet. At this height it crossed the A31 road and made a banked turn to starboard.

Almost immediately the angle of bank increased, from about 45º to about 90º, and the nose of the Optica dropped and it spun in, hitting trees at an angle of 70º nose down and 110º to the horizontal, coming to rest eleven metres further on. On first impact, the starboard wing tip was torn off the Optica. Then the leading edge of that wing was torn away, exposing the fuel tank therein. Next the cabin struck a tree and was extensively damaged while the port wing struck another tree, exposing the fuel tank in that wing.

Finally the remains of the Optica came to rest. The pierced fuel tanks spilt their contents on the ground and some twenty to thirty seconds later the fuel ignited. The intensity of the subsequent fire was such that it destroyed the forward fuselage of the Optica.

Both officers were killed on first impact.

Further information: https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/151375