What happened
On 11 August 2018, a vintage De Havilland DH-89A biplane was participating in an airshow at the Abbotsford International Airport in British Columbia. The aircraft, which was being operated by the Historic Flight Foundation, was performing an air ride with a pilot and four passengers on board.
Shortly after the aircraft became airborne, it experienced a loss of control during the initial climb. The aircraft's right wing struck the runway, causing the plane to come to a rest on its nose at the right edge of the runway. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft. Among the occupants, one passenger and the pilot sustained severe injuries, while the remaining three passengers suffered minor injuries.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the loss of control during the takeoff phase and the subsequent impact with the runway surface.