http://avherald.com/h?article=411ddd21&opt=0
Where's the beef?
By Simon Hradecky, created Wednesday, Dec 17th 2008 11:16Z, last updated Wednesday, Dec 17th 2008 11:47Z
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGYCnowBC2g
What looked like an Internet prank, has actually triggered a report by the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) of the United Kingdom.
A Tiger Moth biplane had just taken off runway 23 at Dunkeswell Airfield in Devon (United Kingdom) on September 14th 2008 and had reached about 200 feet AGL, when the engine speed dropped to idle. The pilot lowered the nose of the airplane to maintain flying speed and turned right to land on a suitable field. The airplane cleared a sturdy barbed wire fence, but at about touchdown a cow ran under and hit the airplane at the left wing causing substantial damages to the airplane. The airplane rolled to a halt and the two occupants, the owner of Ace Flight Training on the airfield and a former WWII combat pilot aged 84 - who had done low level raids with Mosquitos - got out uninjured and laughing.
The AAIB reported, that corrosion debris was found in the carburettor float bowl, which appeared to come from the float bowl itsself. Fuel tanks, fuel lines and fuel filters were found clean. It is therefore likely, the AAIB closes the report, that this debris blocked the carburettor jets causing the reduction in power, as the engine ran normally once the debris was removed.
The full AAIB report can be found at:
http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources/DH ... 012-08.pdf
The cow became subject to many jokes including instructions of how to get beef for dinner. The AAIB reported in a side sentence however, that the cow seen to roll over due to the impact remained uninjured, too. The cow had to actually be searched in her herd and was found without a scratch whatsoever ...
The pilot reported, that it was the first cow he hit in 22 year of flying. He may now paint a cow onto the side of his Tiger Moth to mark the event. The "silly cow", who had run across the field to join her herd, continued grazing as the two climbed out of their airplane.