Aircraft and Flight Details
The accident involved a DH82A Tiger Moth, registration G-ADPC, manufactured in 1935. It was powered by a single Gipsy Major 1 piston engine. The flight was a private operation with only the pilot on board. The pilot held a Private Pilot's Licence and was 51 years old, with a total flying experience of 533 hours, including 13 hours on type. In the previous 90 days, he had flown 10 hours, and in the last 28 days, 4 hours.
Accident Sequence
The incident occurred on 22 May 1998 at 1845 hrs UTC at a farm strip in Petersfield, Hampshire. The grass runway was oriented northeast, and the surface wind was calm. During the landing approach, the pilot misjudged the height at the runway threshold and 'rounded out too high,' resulting in a hard landing that caused damage to the landing gear and fuselage.
Pilot Comments
In his report, the pilot noted that the contrasting colour and direction of recently mown grass at the threshold, combined with an upward slope of the runway, may have influenced his misjudgment. However, he attributed the primary cause to his own error in estimating the height.