Synoptic Report Summary
The Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) of Ireland published a synoptic report on an accident involving a Cessna 208B, registration N208B, at Ballyart, Co. Limerick, on 13 December 2014. The aircraft was operated as a private flight under a single pilot, who held both FAA and EASA commercial pilot licenses. The pilot had 9,570 total flying hours, with 200 on type. The aircraft was substantially damaged, and the pilot exited without injury.
History of the Flight
The pilot planned a private flight from Brittas House Airfield to Gloucestershire Airport (EGBJ) in the United Kingdom. After filing a flight plan, the pilot started the engine and conducted pre-flight inspections. The grass runway (Runway 15) was wet but not soft or frozen, with occasional water-logging and mud. The wind was light from the east. During the takeoff roll, the pilot applied takeoff power and used a soft-field technique, lifting the nose wheel off the runway. However, he felt the aircraft was not accelerating as expected. He applied maximum available engine power, but there was no appreciable increase in acceleration. Realizing that continuing the takeoff was unsafe and that stopping would result in overrunning into a ditch at the runway end, the pilot attempted to overfly the ditch. The aircraft made contact with fence posts in a hedge, damaging the left elevator and fuselage underside. It came to rest at the far boundary of the adjacent field, incurring damage to the engine and propeller. The pilot shut down the engine and evacuated unaided.
Aircraft and Airfield Information
The Cessna 208B is a single-engine, high-wing utility aircraft powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A engine (675 SHP) driving a three-bladed constant-speed propeller. The accident aircraft (serial number 208B1023) was manufactured in 2003 and had a total operating time of 935 hours at the time of the accident. The most recent annual inspection was on 25 October 2014. The aircraft was configured with an executive seating layout for four persons. Brittas House Airfield is a private, unlicensed airfield about 15 km southeast of Limerick City, elevation 175 ft AMSL. It has a single grass runway (15/33) measuring 700 m by 18 m, with a slight downslope toward Runway 15. The surface was firm but wet and occasionally muddy, with standing water left of the centerline mid-section.
Investigation Findings
The pilot reported that the aircraft was loaded within weight and balance limits. He noted that frost had formed on the windshield overnight and was removed with brushes and anti-ice fluid. He remarked that some clear ice might have been present on the upper wing surface. The pilot used a generic mnemonic checklist for vital actions. During the takeoff, he used the short-field technique from the Airplane Flight Manual. The pilot stated that the aircraft normally became airborne approximately 300 m from the start of the roll, but on this occasion it did not lift off. He considered that discontinuing the takeoff earlier would have been appropriate with hindsight, but given the light load (about 1,500 lbs below maximum takeoff weight), the acceleration should not have been problematic. The runway inspection showed tire marks and the point where the aircraft normally lifts off. The ditch at the runway end had steep sides and water about 0.5 m deep. The outer section of the left elevator was found detached on the far side of the ditch.
Probable Cause
The AAIU report did not include a stated probable cause in the provided excerpt.