John
04-08-2009, 08:58 AM
Plane takes off without pilot
An aircraft took off on its own when the pilot could not get into the cockpit in time after starting the propellor manually.
Hundreds of visitors to an air show at Goodwood airfield watched in horror as the runaway biplane took off, soared into the air and then crashed into trees, reports the Daily Telegraph.
Had it cleared the trees it is believed the plane, which was headed towards nearby Chichester, West Sussex, could have flown for around 150 miles on a full tank of fuel.
The small plane had just been refuelled before the incident and its pilots had 'swung' the propellers to restart the engine before getting inside to fly it.
But the aircraft - a 1940 model built in the style of a Tiger Moth - began moving before the pilot had a chance to board it.
Retired aircraft engineer Malcolm Phillips, 67 of Emsworth, Hants, said: "There were hundreds of people there watching as the plane ran amok, haring round in circles.
"We didn't know which way it was going to go and it was worrying that it could head towards the crowd, other planes or the clubhouse."
Mr Phillips added: "Normally the idea is that you swing the propellers and have the handbrake on and chocks under the wheels. You also need to make sure the throttle is only set at low revs.
"Something clearly went wrong and it jumped over the chocks - I suspect what might have happened is that the throttle became loose."
An aircraft took off on its own when the pilot could not get into the cockpit in time after starting the propellor manually.
Hundreds of visitors to an air show at Goodwood airfield watched in horror as the runaway biplane took off, soared into the air and then crashed into trees, reports the Daily Telegraph.
Had it cleared the trees it is believed the plane, which was headed towards nearby Chichester, West Sussex, could have flown for around 150 miles on a full tank of fuel.
The small plane had just been refuelled before the incident and its pilots had 'swung' the propellers to restart the engine before getting inside to fly it.
But the aircraft - a 1940 model built in the style of a Tiger Moth - began moving before the pilot had a chance to board it.
Retired aircraft engineer Malcolm Phillips, 67 of Emsworth, Hants, said: "There were hundreds of people there watching as the plane ran amok, haring round in circles.
"We didn't know which way it was going to go and it was worrying that it could head towards the crowd, other planes or the clubhouse."
Mr Phillips added: "Normally the idea is that you swing the propellers and have the handbrake on and chocks under the wheels. You also need to make sure the throttle is only set at low revs.
"Something clearly went wrong and it jumped over the chocks - I suspect what might have happened is that the throttle became loose."