AN investigation has revealed the cause of a fire on an aircraft at Stow Maries.

A pilot had been flying a usual aerobatic display routine at Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome near South Woodham Ferrers.

During the air display, the aircraft’s propeller stopped and the pilot was unable to restart the engine.

The pilot recovered the aircraft to the runway without damage to it or hurting himself.

While the right generator stopped smoking soon after the aircraft had stopped, the left canister began burning with a yellow flame visible.

Soon after, the airport fire service arrived at the scene, where they extinguished the flames with a short blast of a power extinguisher.

The pilot said he had practiced to ensure he was prepared in the event of an engine failure.

When the engine did actually fail, rather than aim further up the runway, he did as he had practiced.

A report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch found the engine failed due to a combination of internal faults causing increased friction.