IT was the moment no pilot wants to experience. One minute he was flying his aircraft without problems. The next he heard a bump and saw a propeller flying away from the plane.

But the pilot of the twin engine veteran aircraft went on to make a safe landing back at the airfield he had taken off from. He and his passenger both walked away unhurt.

The incident involving the 1947 built Miles M-65 Gemini aircraft whose registered owner is John Shakespeare Allison, of Filkins, Lechlade, happened at Old Warden airfield in Bedfordshire in August 2002 and has just been spotlighted in a newly published official Air Accident Report.

The report by the Air Accident Investigation Branch says the 59-year-old pilot, who is not named, but who was highly experienced holding a basic commercial pilot's licence and having nearly 5,000 hours flying experience, had taken off from Old Warden for a local flight.

It continues: "While descending at a low throttle setting in the overhead of the airfield, the pilot heard a 'thump'. He then observed the left propeller, which had become detached from the engine, flying away after striking the nose of the aircraft.

"The aircraft returned to the airfield and landed without further incident. The propeller was recovered from a nearby field."

It goes on to recommend that the Civil Aviation Authority should, where appropriate call for "out of phase" maintenance checks on some old aircraft as an additional safety precaution.