Incident Overview
On 6 June 2015 at approximately 13:30 UTC, a Bolkow BO 207, registration G-EFTE, experienced a tail lift event at Chichester (Goodwood) Airfield in West Sussex. The aircraft, equipped with a single Lycoming O-360-A1A piston engine, was being operated on a private flight with one pilot and one passenger. Neither occupant was injured. The aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, spinner, cowling, and the engine shock-loaded.
According to the pilot, after pre-flight checks, G-EFTE was parked on the southern end of parking row 1. The pilot requested taxi clearance and was instructed to taxi to the hold of Runway 24. The wind was from 250° at 15 kt. The pilot taxied forward with the control stick held full back. As he approached the southern end of parking row 2, he observed a Beagle Pup (G-AXOJ) approaching from the right along the taxiway. He stopped at the southern end of parking row 3, expecting G-AXOJ to pass in front and turn left. Instead, G-AXOJ turned left through a gap between parked aircraft on row 3 to pass behind G-EFTE. After losing sight of G-AXOJ, the pilot prepared to move forward but had to hold for another aircraft taxiing in front. As he was about to move forward or while starting to move, the tail of his aircraft lifted and the propeller struck the ground.
Witness Accounts
Multiple witnesses provided differing accounts. An eyewitness sitting in a parked Piper PA-28 on row 2 observed G-EFTE taxi in front of her aircraft and stop near the row 3 sign. She then saw G-AXOJ taxi through a gap on row 3 and stop in front of her aircraft before taxiing behind G-EFTE. She reported that G-AXOJ “put on a fair bit of power” and as it did so, the tail of G-EFTE began to lift. The pilot of G-AXOJ later stated he was “100% convinced” that his propwash was not the cause; he noted the grass was uneven and rutted, and conditions were “very windy.” His passenger described the tail lift as occurring “very slowly.”
The Flight Information Service Officer (FISO) in the control tower recalled watching G-EFTE taxi and saw its tail “gently” lifting. The FISO stated that G-AXOJ had stopped on the north side of G-EFTE and had not passed behind it. The FISO could not explain why G-EFTE tipped over and did not believe propwash from G-AXOJ was responsible.
Investigation Outcome
The AAIB investigation found it was not possible to determine the cause of G-EFTE tipping onto its propeller due to conflicting accounts. No conclusive evidence pointed to either propwash or ground conditions as a definitive factor. The aircraft was inspected, and no holes or obstructions were found on the taxi path. The fire service attended, pushing the tail down to allow the occupants to exit normally.