Piper PA-31-235 accident near Powys, Wales, United Kingdom, Gb, January 18, 2012
On January 18, 2012 at about 11:45 am local time, a Piper PA-31-235, registered GBWHF, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Powys, Wales, United Kingdom. It was a personal flight under non-U.S. private rules. The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 18, 2012 · about 11:45 am local time
- Place
- Powys, Wales, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-235 · all PA-31-235s on the register
- Registration
- GBWHF · no longer on the register · serial 31-7612076
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On January 18, 2012, about 1145 universal time (UTC), a United Kingdom registered Piper PA-31-235, G-BWHF, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain near Leighton Welshpool, Powys, Wales, United Kingdom. The pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the government of the United Kingdom. Further information may be obtained from: Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) Farnborough House Aldershot Hampshire GU11 2HH Phone: +44 (0) 1252 510300 Fax: +44 (0) 1252 376999 This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information released by or obtained from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch of the United Kingdom.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during enroute (cruise)
- Unknown or undetermined during enroute (cruise) defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming LTIO-540-F2BD (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.