WIX Archives
Tiger Moth Crash July 2002
Posted by Paul McMillan on Fri Aug 02, 2002 12:29:42 PM
In reply top null posted by null on null
I have not seen this reported elsewhere on web.
Pilot OK and plane looks like a writeoff from pictures, but then again Tiger Moths have more lives than the average moggy and no doubt this will re-appear sometime
From Maidenhead Advertiser July 26th 2002
Plane plummets 200ft
Injured pilot 'lucky it didn't go up in flames'
By Georgina Horton
A PILOT raising money for the air ambulance in White Waltham on Sunday was airlifted to hospital after his plane lost power and plummeted 200ft to the ground.
The pilot, who wished to remain anonymous, was flying a classic Tiger Moth in the first part of the display for the 2,000 members and guests when he crashed. He was taken to Wexham Park Hospital, Slough, but was transferred to the Royal National Orthopedic Hospital, at Stanmore, suffering from a crushed vertebra.
The plane, the second to crash at the airfield in less than a week, landed just metres away from the other planes which were ready for the display.
Firefighters spent more than an hour trying to ensure the area was safe for flying to continue.
Maidenhead Firefighter John Stevenson said: "The pilot was lucky the plane didn't go up in names when it hit the ground.
"By the time we arrived, the pilot had been pulled out of the plaqe by another club member, John Mackay."
Airfield chief executive Roger McKie said: "We weren't sure if we would continue the display after the plane crash, but both members and the pilot wanted things to carry on.
"It's not everyday something like this happens and no matter how much preparation is done nobody can stop things like this happening. It's how efficiently we deal
. with the situation which matters."
Club member Mike Elliott said: "Everyone was completely horrified and shocked by what happened.
"The crash did put a bit of a dampener of the day because we all know the pilot very well, but he would want the day to go on and that is what we did."
Club members regularly hold events like the members' air display to raise money for the Thames Valley and Chilterns Air Ambulance, which is based at the air-field.
Mr McKie said situations like this showed the importance of the service.
The two crashes have raised concerns about safety at the airfield but district councillor Vicky Howes, (Lib Dem, Cox Green) said: "The airfield are very safety con- scious, Obviously we don't know the cause of the crashes but if something needs to be changed, it is essential
we are told about the problems."
parish councillor Clive Scott-Hopkins, who is on the
airfield consultative committee, said people were worried about the planes flying off circuit. He said: "It doesn't happen all the time but sometimes a student pilot might misread the circuits and fly over houses in Waltham St Lawrence.
"We are lucky there have been no accidents in housing estates so far."
I looked the registration (it is clear in the photo) up on G-INFO
For reference the crashed Tiger Moth was
G-AKXS (ex T7105)
Serial Number 83512
Registered to owner in HENLEY-ON-THAMES
Paul