What happened
On 12 August 2012, a DH82A Tiger Moth, registration G-AHLT, was performing a short positioning flight near Mold, Flintshire. The pilot intended to use a specific field as a landing site, which had been identified previously for its potential use. The field was approximately 200 yards long, featuring a steep upward slope in its first half and various obstacles at the far end, including a fence, an earth bank, trees, and utility lines.
Upon arriving at the site, the pilot conducted a flypast to evaluate the conditions. After an initial approach was aborted due to excessive speed, a second approach was attempted. As the aircraft crossed the hedge at the start of the field, the pilot realized the airspeed remained too high for a safe landing, yet the altitude was insufficient to execute a go-around without risking collision with the wires and trees at the field's end.
The main wheels touched down at the top of the steep slope while the aircraft was still above stall speed. This caused the aircraft to bounce, and the second touchdown occurred roughly 70 yards before the end of the usable field. While the pilot attempted to maintain speed to navigate between the fence and the wires, the right wing tip struck tree branches. The aircraft came to rest on its right side with no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The investigation examined the pilot's pre-flight assessments and the physical characteristics of the landing site. It was noted that the pilot had previously estimated a landing roll of 120 yards on flat ground, but the steep terrain of the field presented a much more challenging environment. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's decision-making process regarding the second approach and the management of airspeed relative to the obstacles present at the far end of the field.