Date:	Saturday 12 May 1979
Time:
Type:	Tipsy T.66 Nipper Srs. 3
Owner/operator:	Kenneth Richard Carey Brookshsank
Registration:	G-AXLH
MSN:	S.130
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Bournemouth Aerodrome, Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Test
Departure airport:	Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Dorset (BOH/EGHH)
Destination airport:	Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Dorset (BOH/EGHH)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Tipsy T.66 Nipper Series III G-AXLH: First UK registered (C of R R.10858/1) on 25 July 1969 to Nipper Aircraft Ltd., Castle Donnington, Derbyshire. The airframe was one of those that had begun construction by Slingsby's at KIrkbymoorside, and had survived the fire there on 18 November 1968. The partially completed airframe was taken by road to Nipper Aircraft at Castle Donnington for completion. Registration G-AXLH cancelled 19 January 1970 as aircraft "sold to Malaysia"

Registration restored (C of R G-AXLH/R2) on 12 February 1979 to Kenneth Richard Carey Brookshank, Salisbury, Wiltshire. Tipsy Nipper G-AXLH had been imported into the UK, dismantled and crated, and thus required re-assembly. After this had taken place, the Nipper undertook a test flight from Hurn (Bournemouth) Airport on the evening of 12 May 1979.

The test flight was incident free until the pilot joined the circuit to land. As he turned onto his final approach, at a height of about 200 feet, he found that he had no up elevator control. He was able to keep the Nipper's wings level but could not control its descent. It entered a conifer plantation, crashed through the trees and fell to the ground inverted. Fortunately there was no fire but the pilot suffered serious injuries, which probably would have been more serious had he not been wearing a full four point harness.

The Nipper was destroyed and the CAA cancelled its registration as such on 19 May 1980. The AIB investigated the crash. Examination of the wreckage of the Nipper revealed that a turnbuckle on the up elevator control had come undone and that the locking wire, which should have prevented this, had been cut and partly removed. How this had come about was not determined.

As can be seen from the photograph below (see link #2) the wreckage was carted away strapped to the roof rack of an Austin Mini Clubman Estate on 10 November 1979. What survived was broken up for spares, and used in the repairs/rebuild of Nipper G-ASXI

1. CAA: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AXLH.pdf
2. G-AXLH: Wreckage strapped to the roof an Austin Mini Clubman Estate(!) at Hurn 10/11/1979: https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1209818
3. G-AXLH at Biggin Hill (EGKB) 18/5/1969: https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/001132823.html
4. https://members.gliding.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2015/04/1430312246_TNS%2007.08.79.pdf (AAIB Report into the accident on page 10)
5. https://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=17315.0

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
22-Nov-2020 00:09	Dr. John Smith	Added
22-Nov-2020 00:11	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]