What happened
On 17 May 2014, a private flight involving an Aerotechnik EV-97A Eurostar, registration G-CCEM, was conducting a local flight at Oxen andhope Airfield, West Yorkshire. Following a successful landing on Runway 29 and a short period of general handling, the pilot backtracked to line up for a subsequent departure.
During the takeoff roll, the aircraft unexpectedly veered toward the left. The pilot attempted to correct the deviation by applying rudder input to maintain the runway centerline, but the aircraft failed to respond to the controls. Consequently, the aircraft departed the left side of the runway and struck a parked G-CDLK, which was positioned with its right wing near the runway edge. The impact caused G-CCEM to slide further left, leading to a second collision with another stationary aircraft, G-MESH.
Despite the pilot cutting the master switch and applying maximum braking, the sequence of impacts could not be prevented. There were no injuries to the pilot, though the aircraft sustained damage to its propeller, left wing, and the left side of the fuselage. The parked aircraft also sustained damage, including the right tailplane of G-MESH and the right wingtip and aileron of G-CDLK.
The investigation
The investigation examined the sequence of events and the mechanical state of the aircraft. The pilot reported that during the attempt to regain control, both rudder pedals were operated simultaneously, which prevented any effective rudder deflection. The investigation focused on the sudden leftward deviation and the lack of directional control during the takeoff phase.