Shortly after takeoff, when the Tiger Moth was at an altitude of about 200 feet, engine speed dropped to idle. The pilot lowered the nose to…
Shortly after takeoff, when the Tiger Moth was at an altitude of about 200 feet, engine speed dropped to idle. The pilot lowered the nose to maintain flying speed and turned right to land in a field, but as the aircraft touched down, a cow ran under and struck the port wing, causing substantial damage to the aircraft.
The cow was apparently uninjured. Investigation of the aircraft by a local engineer found corrosion debris in the carburettor float bowl, and this appeared to have originated from within the bowl itself.
The fuel tank, lines and filter were found to be clean, so it is likely that the debris had blocked the carburettor jets, causing the reduction in power, as the engine ran normally once the debris had been removed.
