What happened
On April 16, 2014, a Bombardier DHC-8-400 operated by Eurolot SA was performing a takeoff roll at Gdańsk Airport (EPGD). During the takeoff run, the flight crew initiated an aborted takeoff after observing a malfunction in the onboard instrumentation, specifically a lack of airspeed indications on the First Officer's side of the cockpit.
Following the decision to abort, the aircraft successfully decelerated and returned to its parking position.
The investigation
The PKBWL investigation focused on determining why the airspeed indications were unavailable during the takeoff roll. The investigation examined the pre-flight procedures and the condition of the aircraft's sensors.
Findings
- The investigation established that the primary cause of the incident was an unremoved pitot tube cover on the First Officer's side of the aircraft.
- The pitot tube cover lacked a standard "REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT" streamer, which resulted in the obstruction going unnoticed by both the ground handling personnel during aircraft preparation and the pilot during the pre-flight inspection.