Incident Overview
On 6 June 2000 at 1710 hours, a DH82A Tiger Moth, registration G-AMTV, was involved in an accident at Old Sarum Aerodrome, Wiltshire. The aircraft was on a training flight for circuit consolidation, with the commander occupying the front seat and one other crew member on board. No passengers were carried, and no injuries were reported. The aircraft sustained damage to the rear spar of the left wing.
Sequence of Events
The flight was using the unlicensed Runway 24 south, which had a short, dry grass surface. The surface wind was from 270° to 290° at 10 to 15 knots. Adjacent to the runway, approximately 15 feet to the south, the grass had been cut and was lying in bales at irregular intervals.
The commander made a normal approach, aiming to land on a track of 255° to reduce the crosswind component. During the landing flare, the sun was shining directly into his eyes, causing the aircraft to bounce. The second touchdown also resulted in a bounce, prompting the pilot to initiate a go-around. Due to a combination of the sun glare and the nose-up attitude of the aircraft, the pilot was slightly unsighted and did not initially detect that the aircraft was drifting to the left. During the go-around, he believed that the left wheel had contacted a grass bale. No handling difficulties were experienced. The pilot then flew a gentle circuit and performed a full stop landing on Runway 24.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The DH82A Tiger Moth, manufactured in 1935, was powered by one De Havilland Gipsy Major piston engine. The commander held a Commercial Pilot's Licence with Instrument and Flying Instructor ratings and was 65 years old. His total flying experience was 10,874 hours, including 130 hours on type, with 156 hours in the last 90 days and 60 hours in the last 28 days.