Introduction
On 14 February 2016, an EV-97 Teameurostar UK aircraft, registration G-CEHL, was involved in an accident during takeoff from Gloucestershire Airport. The aircraft was being operated on a private flight with only the pilot on board. The pilot sustained no injuries, but the aircraft sustained damage to the nose landing gear (NLG), propeller, and lower fuselage.
Accident Details
The accident occurred at approximately 1347 UTC. The aircraft was taking off from Runway 04. The wind at the time was reported as 050° at 14 knots, gusting to 20 knots. The pilot, aged 60, held a National Private Pilot’s Licence and had a total flying experience of 112 hours, of which 107 were on type. In the last 90 days he had flown 1 hour, and none in the last 28 days.
Sequence of Events
The pilot configured the aircraft with takeoff trim and flaps and applied full power. The aircraft began to lift off at a speed between 55 and 60 mph, but the pilot maintained a flat attitude to gain airspeed. At a height of approximately 20 to 30 feet, the aircraft pitched nose-down suddenly, causing the nosewheel to strike the runway. It then bounced back into the air in a nose-high attitude. The pilot attempted to correct by moving the control column forward while maintaining full power. This sequence repeated twice more. On the third bounce, the aircraft veered to the left off the runway. On the fourth bounce, the nose landing gear collapsed. The aircraft came to a halt on the grass, and the pilot was not injured.
Discussion with Instructor
Following the event, the pilot discussed the incident with his Chief Flying Instructor (CFI). Although the CFI had not witnessed the event, he considered that the pilot had probably stalled the aircraft when just out of ground effect. He also thought that the pilot had taken off at too low an airspeed for the gusty wind conditions.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was an EV-97 Teameurostar UK, manufactured in 2006 with serial number 2928. It was powered by one Rotax 912-UL piston engine.
Aftermath
The accident was reported via an Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot. No further information on the cause was provided in the report.