History of the Aircraft
The Taylor Titch, registration G-MISS, was a modified example built from plans by its first owner, who installed a Walter Minor 4-3 engine instead of the originally suggested Volkswagen or Continental engines. This modification altered the nose profile. The original builder died before completion, and another enthusiast completed the aircraft on behalf of the builder's widow. After approximately 12 hours of flight testing by another pilot, it was sold in 2007 to its new owner, a Light Aircraft Association inspector. The new owner rectified defects and made changes, and the aircraft received its Permit to Fly in August 2009 after 16 hours 30 minutes of flight testing. The flight test report described G-MISS as performing well and being pleasant and easy to fly. The aircraft had accrued just over 14 hours since the permit was issued.
History of the Flight
On the morning of 8 November 2009, the owner noticed fuel weeping from the tank, removed it, had it rebuilt, and refitted it. The work was checked by the owner's friend, a pilot. After refueling with Avgas 80/87, the owner took off at approximately 1410 hrs for a 25-minute local check flight. During taxi, his friend arrived in his own Isaacs Fury biplane and decided to follow the Taylor Titch to compare climb performance. During the flight, G-MISS performed normally, including stalling exercises. On return, the owner offered his friend the chance to fly it. After landing at White Fen Farm Airstrip, the friend accepted, and the owner gave him an extensive brief on the aircraft's handling. The friend was to climb to height, perform general handling including stalls, and return for touch-and-goes. The aircraft was difficult to start because the engine was warm, but after checks, the pilot taxied out to Runway 36. The departure at around 1500 hrs was described by the owner as "a bit messy" due to difficulty controlling heading, possibly because the propeller rotated opposite to that on the pilot's own aircraft. After takeoff, the aircraft climbed to an estimated 2,000 ft. The owner noted the climb was not as steep as expected and wondered if carburetor heat was left on. He saw the aircraft turn left, assumed it was returning, and then lost sight. After 30 minutes, when the aircraft had not returned, he initiated overdue action.
Witness Observations
A witness walking with her husband near the River Nene heard the aircraft's engine noise suddenly reduce, then increase, and saw the aircraft enter a descending spiral turn that became very steep after several rotations. The aircraft lost height rapidly, and the witness became concerned it would not recover. It continued descending with no apparent change in rotation until it crashed approximately 200 m away on the river bank. She called emergency services at 1509 hrs. Another witness, birdwatching west of Eldernell, saw the aircraft in a steep spiral dive rotating to the right, descending almost vertically. He initially thought it was performing aerobatics but became concerned as it continued descending. He heard a thump when it hit the ground and proceeded to the site.
Weather
The Met Office provided an aftercast indicating a moderate and unstable north-easterly flow with good visibility and a small amount of convective cloud. At 2,000 ft, the wind was estimated from the north-east at 20 kt, reducing to 10 kt from a more northerly direction at the surface. While the aftercast suggested the possibility of turbulence, the weather was not considered significant in this accident.
Examination of the Aircraft and Accident Site
The aircraft struck very soft mud on the river bank and came to rest partially in water. The front fuselage wooden structure fragmented aft to the rear of the cockpit; the pilot was thrown into the water as all wooden members securing his seat harness disintegrated. Aft of the cockpit, the fuselage was basically intact with the empennage in situ, though the right tailplane detached during recovery. The left wing fragmented, while the right wing was almost detached but intact outboard of the flap. A distinct impression of the left wing leading edge in the river bank indicated a steep nose-down attitude at impact, estimated at 50° or more. Despite the disruption, the aircraft's speed was not believed to be particularly high, as metal items showed little compression; speed was subjectively estimated at less than 100 kt. A detailed inspection at the AAIB facility concluded the aircraft was structurally intact at impact with no pre-impact failure of flying controls. No foreign objects causing jamming were found. The engine was remarkably intact and in good condition internally. The propeller had fragmented and was considered to have been rotating at medium to high speed.
Spin Characteristics of the Taylor Titch
The Light Aircraft Association conducted an analysis of G-MISS's spin characteristics using NACA methods, predicting the aircraft would have been able to recover from a spin. The AAIB also commissioned a report from an aerodynamicist using the Defence Standard 00-970 method, who concluded that G-MISS would have been no more prone to enter a spin than a standard Taylor Titch and would probably recover from a fully developed spin with normal spin recovery controls. However, no spinning trials had been conducted on the modified aircraft, and neither standard nor modified Taylor Titch were cleared for spinning.
Medical Findings
The postmortem revealed that the pilot's cause of death was multiple injuries. However, given his medical history, it was considered possible that he suffered from an incapacitating cardiac event just prior to the accident.