What happened
On 20 October 2017, an Aerotechnik EV-97 Eurostar, registration G-TIVV, was performing a private flight at Perth Airport. This flight was intended as a return-to-service check following previous repairs necessitated by a prior takeoff accident involving the same pilot.
As the aircraft accelerated along the runway and reached what the pilot perceived to be flying speed, the aircraft rotated as expected. However, the aircraft failed to climb as anticipated. In an attempt to rectify the situation, the pilot tried to abort the takeoff. During this process, the aircraft lost control and bounced several times on the runway surface before coming to a stop to the left of the runway. The engine remained running at the time the aircraft came to rest. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
An investigation by an LAA Inspector focused on the aircraft's systems following the structural damage to the propeller and airframe. The inspection identified that the instrument static line located in the left wing had become disconnected. Subsequent testing conducted with a similar aircraft demonstrated that such a disconnection causes the airspeed indicator to provide an over-reading error, meaning the pilot would believe the aircraft was traveling faster than it actually was.
Findings
- The primary cause of the failure to climb was an inaccurate airspeed indication caused by a disconnected static line.
- The aircraft's instrument error led the pilot to believe sufficient airspeed had been achieved for takeoff when it had not.
- The incident occurred during the first flight following repairs from a previous accident.