Date:	Sunday 23 July 2023
Time:	13:00 UTC
Type:	Fournier RF4D
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	G-AWGN
MSN:	4084
Year of manufacture:	1968
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	None
Category:	Serious incident
Location:	Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome, Hackmans Lane, Chelmsford, Essex -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Demo/Airshow/Display
Departure airport:	Stow Maries Aerodrome, Chelmsford, Essex
Destination airport:	Stow Maries Aerodrome, Chelmsford, Essex
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
Fournier RF4D G-AWGN suffered an engine failure at Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome, Hackmans Lane, Chelmsford, Essex. Th

The pilot of G-AWGN was flying his usual aerobatic display routine for an air display at Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome. During the eighth manoeuvre of the routine the propeller stopped. Unable to restart the engine the pilot positioned the aircraft for an abbreviated circuit and landed off the subsequent glide approach.

Both wingtip smoke generators were still emitting. Whilst the right generator stopped smoking soon after the aircraft had stopped, the left canister began burning with a yellow flame visible. Very shortly after the canister began to flame, the airport fire service arrived and were able to extinguish the flames with a short blast of a powder extinguisher.

The pilot commented that although he regularly practised glide approaches to ensure that he was prepared for an engine failure, he always did this to the runway threshold. During this flight, with the engine actually failed, he also made his glide approach to the threshold, as he had always practised, rather than initially aiming further up the runway.

=AAIB Conclusion=
The engine of G-AWGN failed during an aerobatic display due to a combination of internal faults causing increased friction within the engine. The pilot rapidly recovered the aircraft to the runway without damage to it or injury to himself. One smoke generator emitted some flames, but these were rapidly extinguished and there was no damage to the aircraft

1. AAIB Final Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65c3692928a4a00012d2b9dd/Fournier_RF4D_G-AWGN_2-2024.pdf
2. G-AWGN History 1968-1977: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AWGN-1.pdf
3. G-AWGN History 1977-1982: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AWGN-2.pdf
4. https://www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/G-AWGN/922414
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stow_Maries_Aerodrome

Fournier RF4D G-AWGN was built in 1968 (first registered 9 April 1968) and has had nine owners since then.

G-AWGN Fouriner RF-4D at the Midlands Air Festival, Arbury Hall, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, 18.5.2019. Fournier RF4D G-AWGN on 6.8.2008: Note smoke canisters active (as referred to in the AAIB report)

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
08-Feb-2024 17:09	Dr. John Smith	Added
08-Feb-2024 17:12	ASN	Updated [Narrative, Accident report]