What happened
On 12 July 1999, a Boeing Stearman, registration N54922, was involved in a ground incident at White Waltham Airfield in Berkshire. The aircraft, operated as part of a private flight, had successfully landed on Runway 03. Following the landing, the pilot executed a right-hand turn to vacate the runway and proceeded to taxi across the grass area toward the designated parking location.
During the taxi phase, the aircraft collided with a small mobile fuel bowser situated on the airfield. The impact resulted in damage to the port lower wing and the propeller of the aircraft. There were no injuries to the pilot or the single passenger on board during the incident.
The investigation
The investigation, based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot, focused on the circumstances surrounding the collision. Investigators examined the movement of the aircraft from the runway to the parking area and the visibility conditions present during the taxi.
Findings
- The pilot attempted to navigate the grass area by weaving the aircraft to compensate for the inherently restricted forward vision characteristic of the Boeing Stearman.
- Despite these maneuvers, the pilot failed to detect the presence of the small mobile fuel bowser.
- The primary cause of the collision was the failure to see the ground equipment due to limited visibility from the cockpit.