Incident Overview
On 13 February 2005, at approximately 15:10 UTC, a Piper PA-18-150 aircraft, registration CS-AQN, departed from Leiria Aerodrome for an instructional flight. The aircraft was occupied by two persons: an instructor and a student pilot. No injuries were reported, and the aircraft sustained damage to the main landing gear and propeller tips.
Flight Sequence
After about 35 minutes of flight, during a touch-and-go landing, power was applied for takeoff. The aircraft deviated to the left of the runway centerline. The instructor reacted by correcting the trajectory to the right, but the student countered this input by correcting to the left. The instructor then made another correction to the right, but the aircraft exited the runway, coming to rest in the adjacent terrain with the landing gear collapsed.
Meteorological Conditions
The weather at the time of the incident included wind from 330 degrees at 14 knots, visibility greater than 10 kilometers, scattered clouds at 200 feet, temperatures of 14/06, and QNH 1025.
Consequences
The aircraft suffered damage to the main landing gear and propeller tips. Both occupants remained unharmed. The aircraft was immobilized adjacent to the runway after colliding with an earthen embankment.
Probable Cause
The primary cause of the incident was a loss of control during takeoff, followed by a collision with an earthen embankment and a runway excursion. A contributing factor was deficient instruction technique, as the pilot-instructor did not take control of the aircraft when conditions deteriorated and was unable to correct the irregular takeoff trajectory.