Accident Details
The incident occurred on 30 July 2000 at Tibbenham Airfield, Norfolk, at 1420 UTC. The Piper PA-25-235, registration G-BPWL, sustained damage when its four-blade wooden propeller touched the runway, breaking off the end of each blade. The pilot was uninjured.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a Piper PA-25-235, manufactured in 1963. It was powered by a single Lycoming O-540-B2B5 piston engine. The flight was private and used for glider towing.
Pilot Information
The pilot, aged 65, held a Private Pilot's Licence and had accumulated 1,740 flying hours, of which only 2 were on type. In the last 90 days he had flown 25 hours, and in the last 28 days, 10 hours. He had extensive experience in glider towing operations but had recently been checked out on this aircraft.
Sequence of Events
The pilot was about to start his second glider tow of the day. Upon receiving the signal to go, he applied power. The aircraft did not move forward and instead pitched onto its nose. He closed the throttle but could not prevent the propeller from striking the ground.
The pilot believed his feet had been clear of the toe brakes but later accepted that they must have been applied. He normally wore hiking boots during towing operations. He reported that because the towing rope was at full stretch when he applied power, he may have mistaken the resistance from the brakes for drag from the rope.