{"success":true,"data":{"id":"4ea81a29-ee1f-4786-a3b3-579e495cf5c9","title":"Builder in stunt biplane horror crash sues for millions over ‘missing nut’","summary":"Trevor Davis claims that a crucial nut connected to the tail elevator was either missing or inadequately secured","content":"US Edition Change\n\nSupport Now\n\n*   News[News](https://www.independent.co.uk/us)\n\n*   Sports[Sports](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport)\n\n*   Culture[Culture](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment)\n\n*   Lifestyle[Lifestyle](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style)\n\n*   Money[Money](https://www.independent.co.uk/us/money)\n\n*   Travel[Travel](https://www.independent.co.uk/us/travel)\n\n*   Premium[Premium](https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium)\n\n*   Climate[Climate](https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change)\n\nMore\n\nMore\n\n### Thank you for registering\n\nPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in\n\n# Builder in stunt biplane horror crash sues for millions over ‘missing nut’\n\n## Trevor Davis claims that a crucial nut connected to the tail elevator was either missing or inadequately secured\n\n[Nevile Ayling](https://www.independent.co.uk/author/nevile-ayling)Monday 27 July 2026 08:06 BST\n\n*   Copy link  \n*   Bookmark  \n\n## Bookmark popover\n\nRemoved from bookmarks\n\nClose popover\n\nopen image in gallery\n\nPilot Trevor Davis who is suing at High Court over crash injuries(Supplied by Champion News)\n\n### Your support helps us to tell the story\n\nFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.\n\nAt such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.\n\nThe Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.\n\n**Your support makes all the difference.**\n\nA builder who nose-dived into a runway in an aerobatics stunt biplane is suing for £2m, blaming a \"dodgy nut\" for the disastrous crash.\n\nBuilder and amateur stunt pilot Trevor Davis, who cracked his skull and suffered multiple other injuries when he crashed 15 minutes after take-off at Popham airfield in Hampshire in March 2022, says a mechanical issue caused by a loose or missing nut left him unable to steer his plane properly.\n\nMr Davis, 64, who had previously taken part in aerobatics displays in the UK, is now fighting for up to £2m compensation for the effects of the accident - suing the Light Aircraft Association (LAA) who he claims should never have authorised his plane as safe to fly.\n\nBut lawyers for the LAA deny that the vital nut could possibly have been loose or missing during their inspection and are also criticising Mr Davis' piloting skills, blaming him for the accident.\n\nIn documents filed with London's High Court, the builder's lawyers explain that Mr Davis’ Pitts Special biplane - a legendary aerobatic aircraft first designed in the 1940’s - had been fundamentally “rebuilt” for him shortly before the crash.\n\nThe Pitts Special is a “legendary” bi-wing stunt plane, which dominated stunt flying after its introduction in the United States in the 1960’s, and is renowned for its excellent manoeuvrability, although with a reputation for being tricky to land.\n\nMr Davis claims that a crucial nut connected to the tail elevator - which plays a key part in guiding the plane’s nose up or down - was either missing or inadequately secured after the build was complete.\n\nThe aircraft was inspected and signed off as safe to fly by an LAA inspector before he took to the skies in it, but after 15 minutes of flying Mr Davis says he found himself unable to control the elevator with his joystick, which he now blames on the elevator rod having come loose due to the dodgy nut.\n\nThe 1966-made stunt plane was bought in 2011 by Mr Davis, who in 2018 commissioned an engineer to “rebuild and modify” it in a three-year project, including stripping the original wings, disconnecting all flight control mechanisms and overhauling the fuselage.\n\nHe now claims expert evidence demonstrates that the connection between the tail elevator and the pilot’s joystick failed due to a nut from the elevator being loose or absent.\n\nThe LAA failed to raise a “red flag” over the plane’s fitness to fly, his lawyers say.\n\nBut lawyers for the LAA insist that there were no obvious shortcomings in the work carried out on the plane by the project engineer - or the report he submitted to the LAA.\n\nThe LAA insists that one of the team of engineers who rebuilt and checked over the Pitts Special “would have detected the absence of the nut/split pin had it been absent during the inspection,” adding: “It is further averred that the nut and split pin were indeed in position at that time of the inspections.”\n\nThe LAA also claims Mr Davis was partly to blame for the crash due to the way he handled his stunt plane as he came in to land.\n\nTheir lawyers state in the defence to the action that Mr Davis could have countered the nose dropping and prevented the nose-dive crash by increasing throttle to “give a burst of engine power”.\n\n“He could also have chosen a far less challenging airfield to land at in the vicinity, for example, Thruxton,” argued defence barrister Christopher Loxton.\n\nFor his part, Mr Davis says he fought desperately to regain control using aircraft instruments such as the rudder and wing ailerons as he came in to land, but “despite his best efforts” the stunt plane ended up nose-planting into the runway before flipping over.\n\nIn the impact, he struck his head on the cockpit rim, resulting in brain damage and a fractured skull, alongside smashed teeth and injuries to his neck, arm and shoulder.\n\nMr Davis’ KC, Patrick Vincent, says that “he continues to suffer from headaches and cognitive and behavioural problems as a result of the head injury.\n\n“He continues to suffer from right upper limb symptoms as a result of nerve damage - for which he requires surgery.\n\n“As a result of the accident, Mr Davis has been unable to continue his work as a self-employed builder.”\n\nMr Davis’ case recently reached London’s High Court for a brief pre-trial hearing during which lawyers hammered out issues relating to the shape of the evidence and costs budgets.\n\nIt will return at a later date unless settled out of court.\n\n### More about\n\n### Most popular\n\n### Popular videos\n\n### Bulletin","source_name":"The Independent","source_url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/trevor-davis-popham-airfield-crash-b3021985.html","url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/trevor-davis-popham-airfield-crash-b3021985.html","author":"Nevile Ayling","author_name":"Nevile Ayling","published_at":"2026-07-27T07:06:18.000Z","publication_date":"2026-07-27T07:06:18.000Z","image_url":"https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/07/27/7/30/100-FOR-PICS-AND-WORDS-PLEASE-DO-NOT-REUSE-WITHOUT-PERMISSION-57565ac4.jpeg","category":"world","topic":"world","tags":[],"political_bias":null,"bias_score":null,"confidence_score":null,"credibility_score":null,"factual_quality":null,"reading_time":6,"word_count":1062,"view_count":0,"breaking":false,"breaking_news":false,"ai_analysis":null,"fact_check_status":"unverified","archive_status":"hot","language":null}}