Date:	Sunday 6 April 1986
Time:	17:30
Type:	Grob G109
Owner/operator:	Oxfordshire Sportflying Ltd
Registration:	G-BJZX
MSN:	6109
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire
Destination airport:	Enstone Airfield, Oxfordshire (EGTN)

Narrative:
Grob G109 G-BJZX: Substantially damaged 6 April 1986 in a take off accident from Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire. The incident was the subject of an AAIB Investigation, and the following is the summary from that investigation...

"Whilst involved in an 'out and return' flight from Enstone, the aircraft commander decided to make a precautionary landing on a grass strip at Moreton-in-Marsh due to a storm. The storm took some two hours to pass, and, for the last 20 minutes of the storm, the engine was kept running, in order to keep the cockpit at a comfortable temperature. When the weather was considered suitable for the flight to continue, the engine was shut down so that the wings could be wiped with a chamois leather cloth, in order to ensure the best performance for the aircraft on take off.

The airstrip" [at Moreton-in-Marsh] "was 500 yards long with a rough but firm surface, and the due east takeoff direction was slightly downhill. Prior to take off, the aircraft commander had determined a point along the strip beyond which he intended to abandon [the take off] should the aircraft have not become airborne. After an unremarkable engine start, the beginning of the take off run was normal, with the aircraft becoming airborne at 45 knots, well before the 'abandon point'.

The aircraft was held in a horizontal attitude, to allow the air speed to build up to a climb out speed of 52 knots, when the engine speed suddenly reduced, The aircraft sank back onto the runway [at Moreton-on-Marsh] with insufficient distance available to stop. At this point, the aircraft commander became aware of a wide ditch across the end of the runway. with a field of short crops beyond that.

The aircraft commander attempted to fly the aircraft across the ditch, using what little power was available from the engine, but, just as the aircraft became airborne, the right wing began to drop, and the right undercarriage hit the far side of the ditch. The fixed undercarriage collapsed, and sank the ground, then slewed to the right coming to rest in the field. Both occupants of the aircraft were wearing full harnesses, and suffered no injuries.

Following a subsequent external examination of the engine, no obvious reason was discovered for the loss of power on take off.

The weather at the time of the incident was described as 'dull and cold, with a north-easterly wind' with the runway surface wet from the recent storm".

=Damage sustained to airframe=
Per the above AAIB Report "Damage to undercarriage, fuselage, propeller, and wing, engine cowling and canopy". G-BJZX was presumably repaired and returned to service; it spent its entire time on the UK register (3 September 1982 to 18 March 2002) with Oxfordshire Sportflying Ltd. The airframe was intensively used; it reportedly accumulated 1,000 flying hours before it was 12 months old (see link #9). G-BJZX had three known reportable accidents in its life time: 6 April 1986 (the above incident) 5 January 1995 (see link #3) and 15 May 1998 (see link #4). The airframe accumulated at least 8,261 flying hours by 31 December 1996. The wreckage ended up in Blackpool (see link #6) where it remained until at least February 2012 (see link #7).

1. AAIB: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422eb1ae5274a131400005b/Grob_G109_Self_Launching_Motor_Glider_G-BJZX_05-86.pdf
2. CAA: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-BJZX.pdf
3. AAIB (Accident 5 January 1995): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f01c40f0b61342000291/Grob_G109_G-BJZX_06-85.pdf
4. AAIB (Accident 15 May 1998): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422fc04ed915d1371000889/dft_avsafety_pdf_502453.pdf
5. https://www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/G-BJZX/1024499
6. G-BJZX: Wreckage at Blackpool (EGNH) 25/11/2006: https://www.flickr.com/photos/farnboroughspotter/29941441328/in/photolist-MBPHn3-bW6fuQ [photo]
7. G-BJZX: Wreckage at Blackpool (EGNH) 11/2/2012: https://www.flickr.com/photos/carmedic/7175682792/in/photolist-MBPHn3-bW6fuQ
8. https://mycontrol.aero/public/aircrafts/GBJZX
9. https://www.lakesgc.co.uk/mainwebpages/Sailplane%20&%20Gliding%201981%20to%201990/Volume%2035%20No%202%20Apr-May%201984.pdf p.65
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Moreton-in-Marsh

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

15 May 1998

G-BJZX

Oxfordshire Sportflying Ltd

0

Turweston Aerodrome, Buckinghamshire

w/o

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
25-Aug-2022 17:38	Dr. John Smith	Added