Incident Overview
On 24 May 2023, a training flight was planned at Szymanów airstrip (EPWS) involving an AT-3 R-100 aircraft, registration SP-GET. The flight was intended as a cross-country navigation exercise (task C/2) under the PPL(A) syllabus. The instructor and student prepared for the flight, with the instructor deciding that the student could perform the preflight inspection independently due to his experience.
Sequence of Events
After the student completed the preflight inspection, the instructor went to the briefing room to fill out flight documents and print a weather forecast. At approximately 18:00 LMT, the student started the engine and taxied to the threshold of runway 32R. Following an engine run-up, the student began the takeoff roll. The takeoff and initial climb were normal. However, when the aircraft reached a height of a few meters, strong airframe vibrations occurred. The instructor immediately took control and landed straight ahead. After the landing roll, at the end of the runway, the crew shut down the engine, exited the cockpit, and inspected the aircraft.
Findings
The inspection revealed damage to the tips of the propeller blades. A subsequent inspection of the runway uncovered a tow bar approximately 400 meters from the aircraft. No damage to the airframe was found.
Cause
The cause of the incident was an improper preflight inspection: the tow bar had been left attached to the nose landing gear. Contributing to the incident was the fact that the preflight inspection was performed by the student without supervision by the instructor. The investigating body accepted preventive actions including discussing the incident at preflight briefings and having the instructor and student prepare a presentation on preflight procedures.