Seat fault caused pilot's death

A pilot died because his seat suddenly shot backwards as he tried to land his light aircraft, a report has revealed.

David Dawson, 42, of Bere Regis, Dorset, died instantly from head and neck injuries when his Cessna 172 struck a hillside at Compton Abbas airfield near Shaftesbury, Dorset, on 21 November last year. A report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch of the Department of0 Transport says the aircraft was flown from Bournemouth International Airport before attempting to landing at Compton Abbas just before 2pm. According to the report: "... the pilot's seat had moved rearwards during the landing roll," leading to loss of control. The report made four safety recommendations to prevent a similar accident.