History of the Flight
On 19 April 2019 at 1225 UTC, a Luscombe 8A Silvaire, registration G-AKVP, was taking off from Baxterley Aerodrome in Warwickshire for a private flight to Old Warden Airfield in Bedfordshire. The pilot, who had operated from the aerodrome for 15 years, was familiar with the trees at the southern side and western end of the runways. The weather was good with CAVOK conditions, a light surface wind from 075° at less than 5 kt, temperature 22°C, and QNH 1030 hPa.
The pilot elected to depart from Runway 25, which is 450 m long and 15 m wide. Although the takeoff was downwind, the wind was light and the pilot considered the downslope compensated for it. After normal pre-takeoff checks, the aircraft was lined up approximately 50 m north-east of the beginning of Runway 25 along the Runway 24 extension. Full throttle was set, acceleration appeared normal, and the aircraft became airborne at about the normal point on the runway.
The climb was shallow as the aircraft accelerated to its climb speed of 70 mph. During the climb, the aircraft drifted to the left of the runway toward some trees. The pilot could see a tree on the left side of a gap in the trees at the end of the runway. He applied right bank but no rudder to avoid it, but the aircraft continued toward the top of the tree, which he initially thought he would clear by 10 to 15 feet. When it became apparent that the aircraft might hit the tree, the pilot applied a further 15° of bank. The left wingtip struck the tops of the tree with a 'bang', and within seconds the right wing dropped and the aircraft entered a spin to the right, rotating through 180° before impacting the ground heavily in the adjacent field.
Injuries and Aircraft Damage
The pilot, the sole occupant, was not seriously injured; he attributed this to energy absorption by the seat cushions and his harness. However, he was trapped in the wreckage by his leg beneath the instrument panel. He was unable to turn off the fuel but turned off all other switches, including the electrical system. The Fire Service arrived and released him. The aircraft was destroyed.
Analysis
The pilot considered that aircraft performance had been normal and he was aware of the trees to his left and those at the end of the runway. The slight tailwind component possibly reduced the angle of climb, which reduced the normal vertical separation from the obstacles. When it became apparent that he would not clear them, his attempt to turn away to the right was not made early enough, and the left wingtip contacted the upper branches.
Conclusion
The pilot concluded that an early decision to avoid an obstacle is better than waiting to see if the aircraft will clear it.