What happened
On 2 October 2005, a DH 82A Tiger Moth, registration G-ANMO, was conducting an instructional flight at Andrewsfield, Essex. During the landing roll on a grass runway, the aircraft's nose pitched forward. Despite the pilot applying full aft stick, the tail continued to drop until the propeller made contact with the ground. Following the impact, the aircraft slid approximately 10 to 15 metres with the nose resting on the surface before coming to a complete stop. There were no injuries to the two crew members on board, though the aircraft sustained a broken propeller and damage to the nose.
The investigation
Investigators examined the conditions and the pilot's actions during the landing. The pilot, who held a Commercial Pilot’s Licence, noted that heavy rain the previous night may have resulted in soft patches of grass on the airfield. The pilot also considered that a sudden change in wind direction, specifically a gust creating a brief tailwind component, could have negated the effectiveness of the up-elevator input at low speeds. The pilot had been managing the landing by using an 'into-wind, wing-down' technique to mitigate cross-wind components, which were measured at 340 degrees at 5-10 knots, gusting to 15 knots.
Findings
- The aircraft's forward pitch was likely caused by the wheels digging into soft ground created by overnight rain.
- A potential shift in wind direction may have contributed to the loss of tail-up attitude by reducing the effectiveness of the elevator input during the landing roll.