What happened
On 27 June 2005, a DH82A Tiger Moth, registration G-ANSM, was conducting a private training flight at Peterborough (Sibson) Airfield in Cambridgeshire. The flight, which was a trial lesson led by a flying instructor, proceeded without incident until the landing phase.
During the approach to Runway 15, the pilot maintained a speed of approximately 55 to 60 knots. Upon touchdown, the aircraft experienced a bounce. This was followed by a heavy landing that exerted enough force to cause a tyre to burst and resulted in compression damage to the right-hand side frame of the fuselage. There were no injuries to the two crew members on board.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The examiner reviewed the circumstances of the landing and the pilot's recent flying experience. At the time of the occurrence, wind conditions were recorded as light and variable.
The pilot, who had been working as an instructor for 18 months, noted that while they had accumulated significant flight time recently, their specific experience on tail-wheeled aircraft was relatively limited to 27 hours, gained within the preceding three months. The pilot identified that the improper landing technique used during this specific arrival was the primary reason for the impact force.