What happened
On 14 September 2007, a DH82A Tiger Moth, registration G-ANDE, was conducting a positioning flight from Andrewsfield to Redhill. The aircraft was carrying the pilot and a passenger, who was a member of the ground crew and was being given the opportunity to practice maneuvers. While cruising at approximately 1,000 ft agl, the engine power suddenly reduced. The passenger reported an engine failure, which the pilot initially mistook for a simulated exercise due to the passenger's calm demeanor.
Upon realizing the failure was genuine, the pilot attempted to use full power, but the engine did not respond. The pilot identified a nearby farm strip as a potential landing site but noted the field was obstructed by hay bales. During the approach, the passenger became panicked by the proximity of the hay bales and feared an impact would push the engine into the cockpit. Just before touchdown, while the aircraft was roughly one to two feet above the ground, the passenger unstrapped, stood up, and jumped from the right side of the aircraft.
To avoid hitting a large tree and the field boundary, the pilot performed a deliberate ground loop to the left. During this maneuver, the aircraft struck a hay bale, resulting in severe damage to the wings and moderate damage to the fuselage and undercarriage. The passenger sustained one serious injury (a broken leg).
The investigation
The AAIB examined the engine and the aircraft's systems. Engineers confirmed that the fuel vent and filter were clear, no fuel contamination was present, and the engine maintained good compression across all cylinders. The engine was able to restart on the second swing of the propeller. The investigation also looked into the passenger's actions and previous flight history. While the passenger denied closing the throttle, it was noted that he had performed similar actions on previous flights.
Findings
- The engine failure occurred without an obvious mechanical cause identified during the initial engineering inspection.
- The passenger's decision to jump was motivated by fear of injury from a potential engine intrusion during the landing.
- The passenger's sudden exit from the aircraft occurred while the aircraft was still in flight, just prior to touchdown.
Safety action
Following the accident, the operator's Operations Manual was updated to mandate that commanders must not tolerate unusual actions by subordinate crew members, specifically prohibiting the initiation of simulated engine failures.