History of the Flight
The aircraft, a 1942 DH82A Tiger Moth (registration G-ANMY) powered by a single De Havilland Gipsy Major 1H piston engine, was participating in a fly-in at Brimpton Airfield, Berkshire. The pilot, aged 67 with 20,852 total flying hours (115 on type), and one passenger were on board. After using wing walkers to maneuver to the grass Runway 07 due to nearby aircraft, the pilot taxied with the elevator trim set fully aft—normal for ground operations. He completed some before-takeoff checks but could not recall resetting the trim. During takeoff, acceleration appeared normal; he applied forward pressure to lift the tail, then the aircraft ran over a prominent hump and became airborne. Concerned about pitching forward, the pilot relaxed forward pressure, but the aircraft pitched up suddenly. He lost directional control, aborted the takeoff, and closed the throttle. The right wing contacted a safety barrier about 15 m from the runway edge, and the aircraft swung right through the barrier, colliding with three parked cars. The wooden propeller shattered on impact, scattering splinters up to 35 m. A member of the public sitting in one of the parked cars with the door open suffered serious injuries from propeller fragments. The pilot turned off the fuel and electrical switches, and he and the passenger vacated normally. Emergency services arrived quickly.
Post-Accident Examination
The AAIB inspected the aircraft shortly after the accident and found the elevator trim in the fully aft position.
Fly-In Event
The fly-in was an annual charity event. Organizers consulted Civil Aviation Publication (CAP) 403 and identified the hazard of runway departure during takeoff or landing with collision with people or static aircraft. The risk assessment noted that the distance between the crowd line and the active runway was not ideal, so they mitigated this by moving the runway as far from the crowd line as space allowed and fencing the crowd line with safety barriers. They considered these actions reduced the risk to an acceptable level. Posters warning that active airfields can be hazardous were distributed locally.
Pilot's Assessment
The pilot considered that the elevator trim was probably not set for takeoff, which may have caused the pitch-up when he relaxed forward pressure. He also thought that his use of an extra seat cushion for the first time changed his perspective, giving the impression that the tail was higher than it actually was. He assessed that the right wing stalled and directional control was lost.