Aircraft and Flight Details
The aircraft involved was a Stewart S-51D Mustang, registration G-CGOI, a 70% scale all-metal replica of the North American P-51 Mustang. It was powered by a 500 hp Chevrolet V8 engine driving a four-bladed metal variable pitch propeller. The aircraft was fitted with electric flaps and trim and a hydraulically powered retractable undercarriage. Manufactured in 2005 (serial number 144), it was imported from the USA by the pilot and reassembled. A Light Aircraft Association (LAA) Inspector oversaw the reassembly and issued a Permit to Fly in October 2014.
The pilot, aged 72, held a National Private Pilot’s Licence and had 1,247 total flying hours, with only 6 hours in the last 90 days and 1 hour in the last 28 days. He was the sole occupant and sustained minor injuries. The flight was a private journey intended to travel from Benwick to Little Gransden Airfield, approximately 20 nm south.
Accident Sequence
The accident occurred on 2 August 2015 at 1515 UTC at Benwick, Cambridgeshire. The pilot attempted a takeoff from a private grass runway described as firm, flat, and dry, measuring about 800 m long and 30 m wide. The weather was fine with a light south-westerly wind. After completing pre-flight checks, the pilot lined up for a southerly takeoff.
During the takeoff roll, after traveling approximately 140 m, the pilot noticed the aircraft drifting left. He reduced throttle to idle and applied brakes. As the aircraft slowed, he applied right rudder to correct, but the aircraft did not respond. It struck an earth bank at the left side of the runway and became airborne. The aircraft then rolled to the left, and the left wing tip struck the ground, causing the aircraft to yaw left and come to rest in an upright attitude facing north. The engine detached from the firewall and came to rest between the wing trailing edge and the horizontal tailplane. Damage was extensive.
Witness Observations
The accident was witnessed by the LAA Inspector responsible for the aircraft's permit and maintenance. Prior to the takeoff, the pilot had reported difficulty turning right during taxi. A joint inspection found no apparent cause, and a taxi test did not reproduce the problem. There was also a delay due to communications and navigation equipment issues.
The witness described two takeoff attempts. On the first, as the tail rose, the aircraft yawed left and the pilot reduced power, stopping and taxiing back. On the second attempt, power was applied rapidly, and the tail lifted almost immediately. The aircraft swung left again; although the swing was corrected, the aircraft continued tracking about 30° left of the runway centerline. It then climbed steeply (estimated at 45°) to an altitude of 30-40 ft, where it appeared to stall and roll, followed by the left wing striking the ground.
After the accident, the witness ran to the site and alerted emergency services. The pilot, who remained conscious, was taken to hospital by air ambulance. Ground marks indicated that the aircraft’s tyre tracks curved left and stopped before the runway edge, suggesting the aircraft became airborne at that point. The first signs of impact in the adjacent potato crops were 75 m from the last visible tracks.