What happened
On 15 May 2015, a DH82A Tiger Moth, registration G-EMSY, was conducting a training flight at Old Sarum Airfield in Wiltshire. The flight was intended for the aircraft's part-owner to renew a Single Engine Piston (SEP) rating, with the instructor occupying the front seat and the student in the rear.
Following an hour of flight time, the aircraft returned to the airfield for a touch-and-go landing. During the approach, the pilot flared the aircraft at an excessive height, which resulted in the aircraft bouncing upon contact with the runway. As the pilot applied throttle to continue the maneuver and attempt a climb, the aircraft developed an uncontrollable nose-down pitching moment. The propeller and the nose of the aircraft struck the ground, causing the plane to flip onto its back. Both occupants exited the aircraft without injury.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators looked into the sequence of the landing maneuver and the aerodynamic behavior of the aircraft during the bounce. The crew noted that a sudden gust of wind might have contributed to the tail lifting, though the primary focus remained on the pilot's control inputs during the flare.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the excessive flare height which led to a bounce on touchdown.
- The subsequent application of power during the bounce induced a nose-down pitching moment that the pilot could not arrest.
- There was no reported injury to the two occupants.
- The aircraft sustained damage to the engine cowling, propeller, empennage, and upper wing.