What happened
On 12 July 2014, a DHC-1 Chipmunk 22, registration G-BXHF, was participating in a 'Chip Fest' event at Goodwood Aerodrome in West Sussex. While the pilot was taxiing the aircraft toward a temporary parking area, the aircraft collided with a permanent wooden fence.
At the time of the incident, the aircraft was positioned roughly in line with the direction of the fence, a factor that likely reduced the visibility of the obstacle to the pilot. The impact resulted in damage to the propeller and the right wing near the wing root. There were no injuries to the pilot, and the aircraft was being operated as part of a private flight.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the positioning of the aircraft and the visibility of the obstacle during the maneuver. It was noted that the aircraft's orientation relative to the fence made the structure difficult to perceive. Following the event, the aerodrome manager initiated a review of how obstacles are marked during fly-in events to prevent similar occurrences.
Findings
- The collision occurred while the pilot was maneuvering the aircraft into a designated parking spot.
- The alignment of the aircraft with the fence made the obstacle less obvious to the pilot during the taxi.
- The incident took place during a specialized aviation event at the aerodrome.