A British pilot is recovering in an Ottawa, Ontario hospital after the vintage Tiger Moth he was flying crashed shortly after takeoff from nearby Gatineau Airport on Friday. Howard Cook suffered some broken bones and lacerations and underwent surgery to repair the damage and is expected to make a full recovery. The aircraft is part of the Vintage Wings of Canada collection, which is owned by Canadian businessman Michael Potter and it’s the first crash of one of the faithfully restored aircraft in the collection. Vintage Wings of Canada pilot Dave Hadfield (whom AVweb interviewed in a P-40 cockpit tour video made at AirVenture Oshkosh last month) said in a podcast interview that Cook is a passionate vintage aircraft pilot who flies for the famed Duxford Museum in England and is an associate pilot with Vintage Wings. Hadfield said Cook is the consummate pilot and his first question was about the condition of the aircraft.
Hadfield said no one at Vintage Wings is speculating about the cause of the accident but the result seems pretty clear. The engine is pushed back into the cockpit and there is damage to the upper wing leading edges so it seems likely the aircraft hit the ground nose first. The good news is that it’s probably rebuildable. Hundreds of the tough little trainers were built and a good number are still airworthy. Still more populate museums and museum back rooms and might be a source of parts.
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