A LIGHT aircraft collided with a hangar at Popham Airfield after it started to move with no-one on board.

The pilot, who was outside trying to start the engine manually, tried to get back in the cockpit but slipped over in his leather-soled shoes, a report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch stated.

The aircraft went on to hit some hangar doors at low speed, damaging its wings and propeller.

The incident took place at 1.35pm on December 22 last year, after the 64-yearold landed at Popham with a view to flying around north Hampshire.

After refuelling, he tried to restart the engine using the plane’s battery. When this didn’t work, he set the parking brake and got out of the cockpit to hand-swing the propeller and start the engine, the report said.

It read: “When it finally fired and kept running, he walked around the wing strut towards the left door but became aware that the aircraft was starting to move.

“He ran towards the open door but slipped and fell to the ground. By the time he got up, he could only watch as the aircraft moved away towards some closed hangar doors.”

The pilot cited various reasons for the accident, including not chocking the wheels, parking the plane downwind with the door open, and wearing leather-soled shoes instead of a pair with more grip.