History of the Flight
The accident occurred on 27 June 2005 at approximately 1312 hours UTC at Peterborough (Sibson) Airfield in Cambridgeshire. The aircraft, a DH82A Tiger Moth registered G-ANSM, was conducting a private training flight with a student undergoing a trial lesson. The pilot, who held a Commercial Pilot's Licence and had 642 hours total flying experience (21 hours on type), had been a flying instructor for 18 months.
According to the pilot's report, the flight was uneventful. An approach was made to Runway 15 at a speed of around 55 to 60 knots. However, the touchdown was heavy, causing the aircraft to bounce. Following the initial bounce, the second touchdown was also heavy, with sufficient force to burst a tyre and cause major compression damage to the right fuselage side frame.
Pilot Experience
The pilot had approximately 27 hours of experience on tailwheel aircraft, gained in the three months preceding the accident. He stated that he felt the accident occurred because his landing technique let him down on this occasion. The wind at the time was assessed as light and variable.
Damage and Injuries
The aircraft sustained a burst tyre and compression damage to the right fuselage side frame. There were no injuries to the two occupants (the pilot and the student). No passengers were on board.