Supermarine Spitfire
PR Mk XIX crash
registered F-AZJS
occurred on June 11, 2017
in Longuyon - Villette (54)
Time Around 3:00 p.m. (1)
Private Operator
Type of flight General aviation
Person on board Pilot
Consequences and damages
A seriously injured person on the ground,
a person on the ground slightly injured,
heavily damaged aircraft
Addendum: A clarification, relating to the transmission of instructions by the Flight Director,
been made to the report. This version, the official reference text, cancels and replaces the
previous (May 2018).
(1) Unless specified
contrary, the hours
appearing in
this report are
expressed in
local hour.
1 - FLIGHT PROCEDURE
On the day of the accident, the pilot flew a Hawker Sea Fury aircraft from
Dijon Darois aerodrome (21) to Longuyon - Villette aerodrome,
in the company of a friend who performs the flight aboard a Spitfire, a single-seat fighter
of the second world war. They explain that the purpose of this flight is to have lunch
on the aerodrome with the president of the "Lorraine Borders" flying club, which organizes
that day an open house for the flying club. For the return flight to Dijon,
pilots change planes. The pilot of the accident must then perform his first
flight on Spitfire, while his friend will fly in Sea Fury.
He performs the pre-flight inspection, starts the engine and performs the engine tests without
notice an anomaly. He entered and went up runway 28, lined up and then started
take-off roll. He explains that when he puts the plane in line from
flight, he looks at the dashboard to increase the power to 6 boost (2). When he
look outside again, the plane has started to tip forward, the propeller is touching
the ground then the plane passes on its back. Pieces of propeller blades are thrown into
the public and two people are injured.
The staff in charge of the security of the open day, followed by
members of the public, immediately walked over to the plane to rescue the pilot.
Unable to extract it from the cockpit, he appealed to the public to help lift
the plane. Once the pilot has been taken care of by the organization's medical staff,
a fire extinguisher was used on the aircraft as a precaution.
2 - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
2.1 Pilot information
The pilot had received several briefings by his friend who owned the Spitfire in preparation for
his release on the plane, including one just before the crash flight. He explains that he put
the aircraft in flight line with the same cadence as for the Sea Fury, and it was done
surprise because the Spitfire is more responsive.
He is a weapons aircraft pilot and had 6,100 flight hours on the day of the accident, including
approximately 1,500 in light aviation. He flies regularly on vintage planes
(North American T-6 and T-28, Hawker Sea Fury) and has a total of around 100 flight hours
on these types of planes. In the three months preceding the accident, he had flown 7 hours
on T-6 and four on Sea Fury.
2.2 Release conditions on Spitfire
Flying a Spitfire requires only the SEP class rating, and there is no
no specific authorization to fly classic planes. Drop it on
a new type of SEP-class airplane, whether single-seater or not, is not
regulated.
2.3 Open day
2.3.1 Nature of open days
The file submitted by the flying club to the prefecture for the open days,
including the one organized on the day of the accident, provided for first flights on a plane
and on ULM. Static exhibitions were also planned. The file does not
did not mention a flight demonstration, although posters depicting the
Spitfire or Sea Fury are a demonstration of ancient aircraft. Pictures
and videos of the open days of previous years found on the internet
also show flying presentations of old planes (including the Spitfire and
Sea Fury) and aerobatic planes, including aerobatic figures.
2 - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
2.1 Pilot information
The pilot had received several briefings by his friend who owned the Spitfire in preparation for
his release on the plane, including one just before the crash flight. He explains that he put
the aircraft in flight line with the same cadence as for the Sea Fury, and it was done
surprise because the Spitfire is more responsive.
He is a weapons aircraft pilot and had 6,100 flight hours on the day of the accident, including
approximately 1,500 in light aviation. He flies regularly on vintage planes
(North American T-6 and T-28, Hawker Sea Fury) and has a total of around 100 flight hours
on these types of planes. In the three months preceding the accident, he had flown 7 hours
on T-6 and four on Sea Fury.
2.2 Release conditions on Spitfire
Flying a Spitfire requires only the SEP class rating, and there is no
no specific authorization to fly classic planes. Drop it on
a new type of SEP-class airplane, whether single-seater or not, is not
regulated.
2.3 Open day
2.3.1 Nature of open days
The file submitted by the flying club to the prefecture for the open days,
including the one organized on the day of the accident, provided for first flights on a plane
and on ULM. Static exhibitions were also planned. The file does not
did not mention a flight demonstration, although posters depicting the
Spitfire or Sea Fury are a demonstration of ancient aircraft. Pictures
and videos of the open days of previous years found on the internet
also show flying presentations of old planes (including the Spitfire and
Sea Fury) and aerobatic planes, including aerobatic figures.
2 - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
2.1 Pilot information
The pilot had received several briefings by his friend who owned the Spitfire in preparation for
his release on the plane, including one just before the crash flight. He explains that he put
the aircraft in flight line with the same cadence as for the Sea Fury, and it was done
surprise because the Spitfire is more responsive.
He is a weapons aircraft pilot and had 6,100 flight hours on the day of the accident, including
approximately 1,500 in light aviation. He flies regularly on vintage planes
(North American T-6 and T-28, Hawker Sea Fury) and has a total of around 100 flight hours
on these types of planes. In the three months preceding the accident, he had flown 7 hours
on T-6 and four on Sea Fury.
2.2 Release conditions on Spitfire
Flying a Spitfire requires only the SEP class rating, and there is no
no specific authorization to fly classic planes. Drop it on
a new type of SEP-class airplane, whether single-seater or not, is not
regulated.
2.3 Open day
2.3.1 Nature of open days
The file submitted by the flying club to the prefecture for the open days,
including the one organized on the day of the accident, provided for first flights on a plane
and on ULM. Static exhibitions were also planned. The file does not
did not mention a flight demonstration, although posters depicting the
Spitfire or Sea Fury are a demonstration of ancient aircraft. Pictures
and videos of the open days of previous years found on the internet
also show flying presentations of old planes (including the Spitfire and
Sea Fury) and aerobatic planes, including aerobatic figures.
During an aeronautical event which is the subject of a public appeal such as open days of a flying club or an aerial event, the risk damage to people on the ground is higher than usual for two reasons: aircraft movements are more numerous therefore the probability of occurrence of a accident is greater, and the number of people present on or around the aerodrome is more important therefore the probability that a third on the ground is injured by accident is also greater. Specific regulatory requirements aimed at preserving public safety with regard to the consequences of an accident air, are intended only for air events due to the potentially higher level of risk of thefts carried out in this context. Previous editions obviously featured in-flight presentations the nature of which would allow the authorities to consider them as manifestations aerial. In this case the security could be reinforced: The public location would be the subject of a safety review due to its proximity to the runway; ˆ the Flight Director would be responsible for all aircraft present and could ensure that pilots have the required experience to participate in a demonstration, which was not the case with the pilot of the Spitfire. The presence of fire extinguishers and medical personnel may have helped to minimize consequences of the accident. The presence of the public on the runway and around the plane accident, which proved to be decisive in rescuing the pilot in the absence of firefighters, however, increased the public's exposure to the risk. The presence of firefighters on site, even if it is not required by regulations, can thus be a valuable asset in the event of an accident.