Cessnafly - R44 - AAIB bulletin below
AAIB Bulletin: 12/2015 N56200 EW/G2015/08/10
ACCIDENT
Aircraft Type and Registration: Boeing B75N1 Stearman, N56200
No & Type of Engines: 1 Lycoming R680 piston engine
Year of Manufacture: 1943
Date & Time (UTC): 17 August 2015 at 1115 hrs
Location: Goodwood Aerodrome, Sussex
Type of Flight: Private
Persons on Board: Crew – 1 Passengers - 1
Injuries: Crew - None Passengers - None
Nature of Damage: Damage to propeller and tears in left wing
Commander’s Licence: Private Pilot’s Licence
Commander’s Age: 53 years
Commander’s Flying Experience: 1,430 hours (of which at least 350 were on type)
Last 90 days - 16 hours
Last 28 days - 9 hours
Information Source: Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the
pilot
The aircraft was parked outside a hangar, in an area where construction works were ongoing
and temporary buildings had been erected in preparation for an event. The pilot boarded the
aircraft and started the engine, before beginning to taxi. After moving off the aircraft turned
through 90° to go between buildings towards the runway. The width of the area between the
buildings was insufficient to allow the turns necessary for the pilot of a Stearman to see the
area ahead. The pilot saw one helicopter parked ahead on the left, and another on the right,
but could not see directly forward, and the propeller and nose of N56200 contacted the front
of a Robinson R44 helicopter which had been parked between the other two.
The pilot of N56200 immediately realised that there had been a collision, and shut down
the aircraft, she and her passenger vacating it without difficulty. The helicopter was not
occupied, and no injuries resulted, but its cockpit was destroyed. The collision could have
been avoided if the pilot of N56200 had ensured that the area into which it taxied was clear
of obstructions, either by observation, or the use of wing-walkers or marshallers