What happened
On 9 August 1998, a fly-in was being held at Craysmarsh Farm near Melksham, Wiltshire. The event involved several light aircraft operating from a North/South oriented farm strip. During the event, the weather was fine with light winds, though no ground-to-air communication facilities were active at the site.
The pilot of G-ADNE, a DH87B Hornet Moth, completed a local flight and returned to the strip. Based on a personal understanding that all operations for the day were to be conducted in a northerly direction, the pilot attempted to land facing North. While the initial landing phase was successful, the pilot observed a Tiger Moth aircraft approaching from the opposite direction during the landing roll.
To avoid a mid-air or ground collision with the oncoming Tiger Moth, the pilot of G-ADNE steered the aircraft to the right, off the landing strip. This maneuver resulted in the aircraft striking a hay bale. The impact occurred at a low speed, resulting in no injuries to the two occupants on board, though the aircraft sustained minor damage to the wing mounting point and the leading edge of the wing.
The investigation
Investigators examined the conflicting accounts regarding the established landing procedures for the fly-in. The pilot of the Tiger Moth reported that his understanding of the group agreement was that take-offs would be performed towards the North, while landings would be conducted towards the South. This pilot stated that he had visually checked the circuit prior to landing but did not observe the Hornet Moth.
Further examination revealed that the visibility, while good, was hazy. Additionally, both aircraft featured a similar red and silver color scheme, which may have affected visual acquisition. The investigation also noted that throughout the day, other participating aircraft had primarily been using the northerly direction for both take-offs and landings.