What happened
On 30 July 2001, a DH82A Tiger Moth, registration G-APAO, was taxiing along a grass taxiway at Dux/ford Airfield in Cambridgeshire. The aircraft was being operated as part of a private flight with one pilot and one passenger on board.
As the pilot proceeded, they observed a line of parked aircraft to the left of the aircraft's nose. In an attempt to maintain clearance, the pilot selected a taxi route intended to steer clear of this row. However, during this maneuver, the pilot failed to identify a Piston Provost parked in closer proximity to the Tiger Moth's path. Although the pilot recognized the imminent risk and attempted an emergency stop, the G-APAO struck the stationary Piston Provost. The impact caused damage to the nose and propeller of the Tiger Moth, as well as damage to the left wing tip of the Piston Provost. The owner of the parked aircraft managed to move out of the way before the collision occurred. There were no injuries to the crew or passenger of the Tiger Moth.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The inquiry focused on the pilot's visibility and the selection of the taxi route. It was established that while the pilot was aware of a distant line of aircraft, they did not perceive the Piston Provost positioned nearer to their flight path. The investigation also confirmed that the owner of the stationary aircraft was able to vacate the area safely prior to the impact.