What happened
On 8 July 2001, a De Havilland DH82A Tiger Moth, registration G-AOJJ, was performing a private flight departing from Runway 32 at Chichester Airfield, Goodwood. During the initial takeoff roll, the pilot encountered difficulty maintaining directional control, causing the aircraft to drift toward the right side of the runway. To prevent hitting the runway edge boards, the pilot rotated the aircraft while it was still at a relatively low speed.
As the aircraft became airborne, a wind gust lifted the left wing, causing the plane to veer right toward a line of parked light aircraft. The pilot noted an airspeed of only 45 knots and attempted to maintain an attitude suitable for climbing away from the obstacles. However, the aircraft struggled to gain altitude, potentially due to a downwind component. To avoid an approaching hangar, the pilot executed a right-hand turn, which caused the right wing and nose to strike the ground. The aircraft subsequently struck the wing of a parked plane and somersaulted, coming to rest in an inverted position. There were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger.
The investigation
The investigation examined the sequence of the takeoff roll, the environmental conditions, and the pilot's maneuvers. The AAIB established that the pilot struggled to keep the aircraft straight during the ground run. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's decision-making regarding the rotation of the aircraft and the subsequent flight path chosen to avoid obstacles on the airfield.