Incident Overview
On 4 April 2004, a Cessna 152 (registration G-BOFM) operating a training flight at Coventry Airport, West Midlands, experienced a propeller strike during taxi. The aircraft, manufactured in 1981 and powered by a single Lycoming O-235-L2C engine, sustained damage to its right wing tip and propeller, and the engine was shock loaded. Both occupants, a crew member and a passenger, reported no injuries.
Sequence of Events
After engine start, the commander, a 78-year-old pilot with 7,940 total flying hours (7,800 on type), taxied the aircraft from the Aero Club toward the active runway. To maintain clearance from a helicopter parked near the taxiway, he chose to taxi over a grass area in front of the club—a route commonly used by club aircraft. While traversing this grass, the nose wheel and left main wheel dropped into a furrow in the ground, causing the propeller to strike the grass. No marker boards or warnings were present to indicate the furrow.
Background
The furrow had been created earlier in the year by the movements of a heavy truck involved in airfield maintenance. Subsequently, grass had grown over the depression, making it difficult to see. The commander reported that he did not notice the furrow before driving into it.
Responsibility and Aftermath
Enquiries with the airport authority revealed that while they conduct regular inspections of aircraft movement areas, they consider the grass area in front of the club to be the responsibility of the club itself. Following the incident, the club planned to meet with the airport authority to arrange repair of the ground and to agree on a clear division of inspection responsibilities to prevent similar occurrences.