On 15th May 2000 the student pilot was undertaking a training flight with an experienced pilot, the flight was to teach the pupil about stall/spin awareness. After a number of stall exercises which the pilot corrected, the instructor put the aircraft into a left hand spin, the student was unable to pull out of the spin and the instructor then attempted a recovery but there was no reponse from the aircraft. Nearing the ground the instructor was able to pull the nose up but just prior to hitting the ground at 10.48hrs in the Dallowgill area on Low Carle Edge about two miles from Pateley Bridge. The aircraft broke up on impact trapping one of the men, the accident was witnessed by the crew of a Royal Navy and Army Lynx helicopter who returned to Dishforth to re-fuel but then returned to the crash site having picked up an Army medic, Cpl David Southworth, who initially treated the injured men. The civilian rescue services later arrived at the crash site and cut the trapped pilot free, both men were taken to the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton by RAF Sea King helicopter.
Instructor Pilot - Cpt David Bower, of Burnsall, Skipton. Suffered spinal injuries.
Student Pilot - Mr Bernard Merlino, aged 35, of Wakefield, West Yorkshire. Suffered leg injuries.