Mystery over crash landing

Mystery remains over the cause of a crash landing in a field near Sibson Airport in which a vintage bi-plane owned by an Ufford man was seriously damaged.

Air crash investigators have failed to pinpoint the reason for a problem with the rudder which resulted in the incident on the afternoon of February 4 this year.

Fortunately the pilot and the other person on board walked away unhurt but a newly published Air Accident Investigation Branch report says that the ageing aircraft received “significant” damage.

The 1942 built bright yellow and silver plane – reg G ANSM - registered in the name of Peter Douglas George Grist, who trades as Douglas Aviation of Main Street, Ufford, had taken off from Sibson when a radio operator warned the pilot that the baggage locker appeared to be unlatched.

The pilot decided to return to the airfield to check it but the report says that he discovered he could not move the plane’s rudder to the right.

As a result he decided to make a forced landing in a field. Later, when the rudder was tested it operated normally and the report says that no reason identified for it jamming.