Incident Overview
On 13 April 2009, at approximately 1425 UTC, a DH82A Tiger Moth (registration G-AVPJ, year of manufacture 1943) was engaged in a private flight near the disused Honeybourne Airfield in Hereford. The aircraft was powered by a single De Havilland Gipsy Major 1C piston engine. The pilot, a 69-year-old male holding a Private Pilot's Licence with 1,180 hours of total flying experience (including 4 hours in the previous 90 days and 2 hours in the previous 28 days), was accompanied by one passenger. Both occupants were uninjured and able to exit the aircraft unassisted.
Sequence of Events
After approximately 25 minutes of flight, the engine began to lose power and did not respond to throttle inputs. The pilot selected a suitable field and initially completed an uneventful landing on the main wheels, keeping the tail clear of the ground until sufficient speed had decayed. As the aircraft rolled across the field, the right main wheel encountered a deep depression that the pilot had not seen. The impact caused the right landing gear strut to collapse, and the aircraft subsequently became inverted.
Damage and Initial Examination
The aircraft sustained severe damage. An initial examination of the engine revealed that the loss of power was due to the failure of a valve stem.