THE cause of the plane crash which occurred on the A40 between Raglan and Abergavenny on 25th June was determined to be a result of a failed take-off according to a Air Accidents Investigation Branch investigation.

During the attempted take-off the plane veered to the left and hit a row of trees before its course could be corrected and causing the plane to ‘violently’ rotate 180° and land on the A40.

At the controls of the the Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior II was a student pilot, with the instructor and another passenger on board.

As the plane passed the halfway point of the grass runway it began to veer to the left.

To the left of the runway, was a line of trees which bordered the A40 and the proximity of the trees to the runway was cause for caution.

According to the instructor “there is not much room for error”.

As it veered, the instructor took control of the plane and attempted to steer it away from the tree line as it become airborne but the wings made contact.

The initial contact was not severe but after continued contact there was a loud bang and the plane was spun and flung onto the A40.

The plane was strewn across the southeast-bound lane of the A40.

Fortunately the three occupants were able to exit the plane receiving only minor injuries and while no road traffic collided with the plane it did receive substantial damage.

It took fire crews five hours to clear the crash site clearing 120 litres of fuel.