Event Details
On 12 November 2014, an incident occurred involving a Saab 340A aircraft during a repositioning flight to Wrocław airport. The event took place after departure from EDSB airfield during the takeoff roll.
Aircraft and Crew
The aircraft was a Saab 340A. The crew consisted of a captain, a first officer, and a mechanic. All three occupants were uninjured.
Sequence of Events
During the takeoff roll at approximately 70 knots, the flight crew observed a CONFIG WARNING on the Crew Warning Panel (CWP). The captain rejected the takeoff, applying brakes smoothly, and brought the aircraft to a safe stop. The crew informed the air traffic controller about the rejected takeoff and then checked the aircraft's takeoff configuration, which was found to be correct. The elevator trim indications were within allowable settings but at the boundary of the green range. Due to the aircraft's balance when taking off without cargo, the captain, as the pilot flying, had set the trim to approximately 1.3 before the flight. During the roll, he increased the trim further to relieve the nose wheel. This increased trim setting, though still within the green range, was close enough to the limit that it triggered the CONFIG warning. After informing the controller of the intention to reattempt takeoff, the captain reduced the trim. With ATC clearance, the aircraft then departed without any complications.
Findings
Investigation revealed that the elevator trim setting was the likely trigger for the configuration warning. The trim was positioned at the limit of the green range, which was near the threshold for the aircraft's config warning system.
Cause
The event was caused by setting the elevator trim for takeoff at the limit of the green range.