Hawker Sea Fury crash: Pilot and passenger broke vertebrae

The pilot and passenger of a vintage military aircraft that crashed suffered broken vertebrae, a report said.

The Hawker Sea Fury aircraft departed from Duxford Airfield in Cambridgeshire and made "a forced landing" at Button End, Harston, on 4 August 2020.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said the crash was due to engine failure.

Its report said the Kevlar helmets worn by the occupants prevented more serious injury.

The aircraft was used primarily by the Royal Navy in the 1940s and 50s, and now regularly takes part in Duxford air shows.

The AAIB said the pilot had already flown the plane on the morning of the accident for about 15 minutes before departing for the second flight in the afternoon.

The passenger was a journalist, and also a qualified pilot, who was writing an article about the plane.

According to the report, the engine oil temperature rose and the oil pressure started to fluctuate, causing the engine to seize.

The pilot transmitted a final call to Duxford which said: "Just lost the engine, making a forced landing."

The aircraft hit the ground and bounced, then hit again and skidded across the field.

It slid into a tree on the far side of the field, which spun it around, and it came to rest in a hedgerow.

The AAIB said the damage to the engine resulted from the failure of a main engine bearing, with contamination of the oil system "the most likely cause".

It said there were no new safety recommendations following the crash but added pilots should consider practicing forced landings in simulators.

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