Date:	Sunday 17 February 1991
Time:	14:34
Type:	Jodel DR.1050
Owner/operator:	Frank William Tilley
Registration:	G-AXVS
MSN:	155
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Farthing Corner Airfield, Hartlip, Sittingbourne, Kent -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Farthing Corner Airfield, Sittingbourne, Kent
Destination airport:	Farthing Corner Airfield, Sittingbourne, Kent

Narrative:
On the afternoon of 17 February 1991 Jodel DR.1050 G-AXVS took off from an air strip near Sittingbourne (probably Farthing Corner Airfield, Stoneacre Farm, Matts Hill Road, Hartlip, Kent, Sittingbourne). On reaching the height of about 100 to 150 feet, the engine lost power. The pilot realized the cause - he had taken off with the nearly empty aft tank selected - and so attempted to turn to starboard, over a valley, to give him sufficient flying time to switch to the nearly full forward tank. At the same time his passenger, who also was a qualified pilot, pushed the control column forward, causing the Jodel to go straight ahead and start to sink. Then the engine stopped with electricity cables ahead. It proved possible to fly over the cables but, whilst doing so, the pilot was not able to close the engine down and as the Jodel lost air speed, it stalled and dived in, hitting the ground heavily in a nose down attitude.

Both the pilot and the passenger were badly injured on impact. They suffered facial and back injuries. Nonetheless the passenger was able to extricate himself from wreckage and reach a nearby farm to raise the alarm. Whilst he did so the pilot, who had become unconscious, was still in the aircraft. Despite the fuel and magnetos not having been switched off, fortunately there was no fire. Soon people from the farm and the airstrip arrived at the crash location, switched off the magnetos and fuel and isolated the battery.

The Jodel was badly damaged. The propeller was broken; the engine mounts and carburettor were severely damaged; both main undercarriage legs were destroyed; and the port wing suffered major damage.

The pilot had correctly diagnosed the cause of the loss of power and subsequent failure of the engine. A subsequent inspection of the wreckage revealed that the aft fuel tank was bordering on empty, whereas the forward tank contained ample fuel. And these facts would have been plain to the pilot from the dashboard fuel gauges, which had not malfunctioned. The pilot admitted to the fact that he had not looked at them, or thought to change from the aft to the forward tank, either before the flight or during the pre-flight checks or during or after take off.

Although the Jodel had only recently been rebuilt before the accident, it appears that it underwent another rebuild afterwards and it remains current on the UK civil register today. The registration G-AXVS was cancelled on 4 December 1986. It was reinstated (presumably after a three-and-half year rebuild) on 22 August 1990. On the 4 July 1994, the airframe was sold on and re-registered to a new owner. It was sold on again to a new owner on 10 July 1995 (just over one year later). The registration G-AXVS was finally cancelled on 25 September 1995 when it was re-registered as G-SPOG

The airframe was originally built and registered in France as F-BJNL in July 1960. It became G-AXVS on the UK register from 6 January 1970

1. AAIB: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f0a840f0b613420002d5/Jodel_DR_1050__G-AXVS_05-91.pdf
2. AAIB Corrigendum: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f6bf40f0b61346000671/Jodel_DR_1050__G-AXVS_Corrigendum_08-91.pdf
3. CAA: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AXVS.pdf
4. Chatham News - Friday 22 February 1991
5. https://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=18568.0
6. http://www.flydw.org.uk/DWJ100A.htm
7. Yorkshire Air News July 1970: http://www.55hr.karoo.net/images/1970%2007.PDF

Jodel DR1505 G-AXVS (now G-SPOG) at Popham, Hampshire on 26 July 2014:

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-Jul-2022 20:54	Dr. John Smith	Added
17-Jul-2022 20:58	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]